Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 068
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| Year | 1940 |
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124 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN sco'rLANn IN 1939. of sueculence for milking cows in order to ascertain what effect, if any, the feeding of sprouted maize would have on the yield and composition of the milk. Sixteen Ayrshire cows were used; the animals selected were grouped in two lots. The trial extended over a period of fifty-four days, comprising three experimental periods of ten days, each preceded by a preliminary period of eight days. Group A received sprouted maize during Period 11., while Group B received sprouted maize during Periods I. and III. During the preliminary periods the groups received the ration to be fed in the following period. The sprouted maize was fed to replace one-half or 20 1b. mangolds in the basal ration. Group A, receiving sprout during Period II., gave a milk yield of 2907 1b., against an average yield of 2869 lb. for Periods I. and III., when mangolds were fed. The difference of 38 lb. represents an increase of 134 per cent in favour of sprout. Group B, fed sprout during Periods I. and III., gave an average yield of 2787 1b.; during Period II. on mangolds the yield was 2914 lb. This group, therefore, showed an increase in yield of 127 lb., or 4'53 per cent in favour of mangolds. Taking groups A and B together, it was found that the increase in milk production for mangolds compared with sprout was 88 lb. or 1-53 per cent. The above variations in yields are of no significance, as they are not outwith the bounds of experimental error. The effect of sprout 0n butter-fat production was also studied. Group A cows produced 114 1b. of butter-fat during the period they were fed sprout, compared with an average pro- duction of 113 1b. for the mangold periods. Group B cows showed a wider treatment difference. Their average produc- tion on sprout was 106 1b., while during the period on mangolds the fat produced was almost 113 1b., an increase of 6 per cent. The investigation indicates that sprouted maize can satis- factorily replace mangolds as a source of succulence for dairy cows without giving any marked variation in yield or in the butter-fat content of the milk. Dried Whey for Milk Production—This small—scale trial was intended only as a preliminary to further work on the suitability of dried whey powder for inclusion in the produc- tion ration of dairy cows. The trial extended over three periods of eight days, each preceded by a preliminary period of four days. During Periods I. and III., 10 per cent dried whey powder was included in the control production ration. The average yield for the Periods I. and III. were 1313;} lb. of milk and 4876 lb. butter-fat. Compared with the standard AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN SCOTLAND IN 1939. 125 ration there was an increase of 57 lb., or 4'04 per cent on the dried whey feeding. This investigation, as has been already stated, was of. a preliminary nature, and it is impossible from this small tr1a1 to form any definite conclusion. During the first per-10d. 0n whey the yield was considerably increased, and the yield during Period 1. exceeded that of Period II. by approxnnately 9 per cent. There was a falling off in yield during Perlod II. on the control ration, which was not regained during the final period as might have been expected when whey was reintroduced. The yield, however, during the final period was fairly well maintained at the Period II. level. The cows took readily to the whey powder ration, and no difficulty was experienced in changing over to the whey ration. Registers of Proven Ayrshire Sires and Dams—The register of Proven Ayrshire Sires has now been completed for the years 1935-37 and will shortly be ready for publication in the '- llrced Journal.’ This section is now up to date. Altogether, iii) bulls are listed, of which total 199 have already appeared in the register, but have subsequently had additional daughters qualifying as high yielders. The revised number of daughters is given for these bulls, along with particulars of 246 bulls which have become eligible for inclusion as Proven Sires since the list was last published. Work on Proven Dams is being continued, and it should be possible to complete the register of Proven Ayrshire Dams at an early date. (b) MILK UTILISATION DEPARTMENT. Milka—The great increase in the number of farms on which mechanical milking is now practised has resulted in serious difficulty on the part of many milk producers in complying with the bacterial requirements of graded milks. In the vast majority of cases the heavy contamination of the farm milk supply is due to faulty care of the machine. The difficulty is not confined to the users of any particular make of machine. Special attention has been devoted to the various methods of machine washing and sterilisation as practised on the farm, and a reliable technique for assessing the value of such practices has been introduced. The experience of the department has shown that the machine sterilisation is best accomplished under average farm conditions by means of boiling water drawn through the milking units after these have been rendered clean and freed from all traces of milk by a suitable method of washing. |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 068 |
