Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 076
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| Year | 1940 |
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| OCR Text |
140 MILK RECORDS. indelibly in ink, each cow being assigned a separate page, at the top of which full particulars of the cow were entered including the indelible tattoo marks on the animal. The byre sheets were carefully revised and corrected in the Association’s office during the season, and a list of the necessary corrections sent to each recorder periodically to be entered in the record books. Visits of inspection were made to each recorder and to the members of local societies at the different farms periodically throughout the year by members of the Association’s staff, and reports thereon submitted to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee reserved the right to withdraw approval of any recorder at any time, or to limit the period of service of any record er with any particular society. Members of local societies refusing to observe any of the rules of the Association, or deemed to be guilty of conduct injurious to the true interests of milk recording, were liable to be temporarily or permanently suspended. ' Another distinctive feature was the surprise check tests, the records of each herd being checked in this way about two times throughout the year. The recorder was instructed, by a letter from the superintendent on a date unknown to recorder and owner of herd, to remain at the same farm another day and make another complete twenty-four hours’ test. The surprise test results were entered on special buff-coloured byre sheets, and in the record books in red ink immediately below the results of the regular test of the previous day. The buff byre sheets were posted to the Association’s office with the other sheets, and any abnormal differences were immediately noted and were reported to the Executive Committee. As a result of this system of surprise check tests, each page of the 1939 milk record books contains entries in red, comparison of which with the immediately preceding entries provides valuable evidence as to the genuineness of the milk records. In addition to the surprise check tests made by the recorder, a number of independent surprise tests were made by the Association’s staff in order to check the recorder’s work. A number of surprise re-tests of the milk samples already tested by the recorder were also carried out ; for this purpose recorders were instructed to retain the milk samples each morning till ten o’clock. All records were closed at the end of December, the current lactations being carried forward to the new books of the following year. Finally, summary sheets were written out in duplicate showing the total milk yield for each cow for the lactation or part lactation, with full particulars of the cow, dates of calving, &c. The principal copy of the summary 7 MILK RECORDS. 141 sheet was posted to the Association’s office with the record book. and the second copy left with the owner of the herd. All record books and Summary sheets were carefully revised, corrected in detail, and initialled in the Association’s office during the next few months, the record books being returned later to the respective members, and the summary sheets retained and bound for future reference. The milk records were next classified into three groups for cows and heifers respectively on the following basis. Experience has confirmed the view that the most useful comparison is obtained by reckoning the yields terms cl pure butter fat. Such a comparison takes into consrderation both the quantity and the quality of the milk. Cows with a milk record equivalent to not less than 280 lb. of butter fat, and heifers with a milk record equivalent to not less than 224 lb. of butter fat, were grouped into Class I. L‘ows and heifers with milk records of less than two-thirds of these amounts—viz., 186 and 149 1b. of butter fat respectively —were grouped into Class III. The following short table shows the corresponding values of these yields in fairly good milk of 3-5 per cent milk fat :— Corresponding Yield in Milk Yield of Butter Fat. Class. (ML) of 3'EGILe111‘éfisn'g Fat. (‘ows in Class I. . Not less than 280 . 800 Heifers in Class I. Not less than 224 . 640 (inns in Class III. . Less than 186 . . 531 Heifers in Class III. . Less than 149 . . 426 All cows and heifers with milk yields falling between these limits would come into Class II. Such animals naturally claim less attention than the good milkers or the obviously unprofitable animals. It should be noted, however, that Class II. would include a certain number of unclassifiable yields, as there were a number of cases where, from various causes, the results of a whole normal lactation could not be obtained. it should be noted that while the above standards for classification of milk yields are the same as for 1934 onwards, they are higher than those formerly adopted, in the proportion of 280 lb. of butter fat for a Class I. cow to the former standard of 250 1b., the other standards bearing the same relation as lormerly to the cow Class I. standard. This decision of the Executive Committee brought the Class I. standard for cows and heifers respectively into line with those adopted since 1924 for the Association’s Annual Register of High-yielding Cows. This subject was dealt with more fully in the 1934 report under “ General Review.” |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 076 |
