UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BENJ. IDE WHEELER, PRESIDENT COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE THOMAS FORSYTH HUNT , DEAN AND DlRECTOR Br {-> u C I C\/ H - E - VAN NORMAN, Vice-Director and Dean ERKELEY UNIVERSITY P.R M SCHOOL CIRCULAR No. 153 July, 1916 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE DAIRY COW COMPETITION, 1916-18 By F. W. WOLL The College of Agriculture of the University of California will conduct a competition for dairy herds during the coming year, in connection with the official testing of dairy cows for produc- tion of butter-fat in which work the college has been engaged for a num- ber of years past. The competition has been rendered possible through the hearty co-operation of breeders of pure-bred dairy cattle, feed dealers, creamery companies, and other parties interested in the ad- vancement of our dairy industry, who have subscribed a fund of over $4700 for the award of prizes for records of production made by cows in the competition. A number of special prizes of pure-bred bull calves, dairy apparatus, and feeds have likewise been donated in order to make the competition of general interest to dairy farmers and to insure a large participation in it. CONTRIBUTORS TO PRIZES IN THE COMPETITION Contributions to the cash prize fund and of special prizes have been received from the following parties : A. Cash Prize Fund. — Alexander and Kellogg, Suisun; Mrs. Anita M. Bald- win, Santa Anita; Balfour, Guthrie & Co., San Francisco; "Calf -Way" Milker Co., San Francisco; California Central Creameries, San Francisco; De Laval Separator Co., New York City, New York; W. H. Dupee, Santee; J. S. Gibson Co., Williams; F. M. Helm, Fresno; Miss M. M. Holdridge, Modesto; Larrowe Milling Co., Los Angeles; Millbrae Dairy, Millbrae; A. W. Morris & Sons Corp., Woodland; B. E. Nixon, Yountville; Pacific Dairy Review, San Francisco; Palo Alto Stock Farm, Palo Alto; Sacramento Clearing House, Sacramento; Somers & Co., San Francisco; Sperry Flour Mills, Stockton; State Holstein Breeders' Association, Chino; State Jersey Breeders' Association, Stockton; F. Stenzel, San Lorenzo; Western Creameries Co., San Francisco; G. W. Wilder, Redlands. B. Special Prizes. — Pure-bred bull calves. — K. W. Abbott, Milpitas; J. W. Clise, Seattle, Washington; Dr. J. W. Henderson, Berkeley; A. B. Humphrey, Mayhews; N. B. Locke Co., Lockeford; C. G. McFarland, San Francisco; W. H. Savior, San Francisco. Feed. — Larrowe Milling Co., Los Angeles. Cream separators. — Associated Mfrs. Co., Waterloo, Iowa; Baker & Hamilton, San Francisco; Beck Hardware Co., San Francisco; De Laval Dairy Supply Co., San Francisco; Empire Cream Separator Co., Bloomfield, New Jersey; Inter- national Harvester Co., San Francisco. Milking machines. — "Calf -Way" Milker Co., San Francisco; Sharpies Sep- arator Co., San Francisco. Trophies and medals. — American Guernsey Cattle Club, Peterboro, New Hamp- shire; American Jersey Cattle Club, New York City, New York; Holstein- Friesian Association of America, Brattleboro, Vermont; Scott, Magner & Miller, San Francisco. Special cash prises.— California Cultivator, Los Angeles; McAlister & Sons, Chino; Livestock and Dairy Journal, Sacramento; Pacific Rural Press, San Francisco; the Country Life Department of the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento; Barber & Thomson Co., Los Angeles. The distribution of the prize fund for cash prizes, and the special prizes offered in the competition will be seen on page 3 of this circular. CONDUCT OF THE COMPETITION The production by the cows entered in the competition will be determined by the method adopted in the semi-official testing of dairy cows for yearly records of production. About twenty young men, especially interested and trained in dairying, most of them graduates of the College, or of the short courses offered by the University of California, are at the present time employed in this work. They visit the various ranches for two days every month, during which period they are present at every milking of the cows, carefully weigh and make fat determinations in the milk, and make out reports on the production of milk and butter-fat for the two-day periods. The aver- age per cent of fat in the milk for the two days is taken to represent the average quality of the milk during the month, and the milk yield reported by the owner and verified by the College or the respective breed associations, multiplied by this percentage, gives the production of butter- fat for the month. Such production for twelve consecutive months will give very closely the actual production for the year, and cows are admitted to the advanced registers of the various breed asso- ciations when these figures exceed the minimum requirements for cows of different ages that have been adopted by the respective asso- ciations. I The method of conducting the official tests and details concerning the system of testing dairy cows for production are explained in Circular 135 of the California Agricultural Experiment Station, 1 a copy of which will be sent to residents of the state upon request. Address, Director Agricultural Experiment Station, Berkeley, Calif. In the competition to be conducted as above explained, the produc- tion by cows during the period of ten months will form the basis of awarding the prizes offered, instead of that for a period of one year, i Official tests of dairy cows, by F. W. Woll and Cora J. Hill. Calif. Agr. Exp. Station, August, 15)15. for the reason that in ordinary dairy practice cows drop a calf once every twelve months and arc dry for from four to six weeks every year. When cows are tested for yearly records, many breeders are tempted to delay breeding their cows until late in the lactation period and to feed very heavily so that the cows will give milk for the entire 365 days, with the result that the breeding operations are seriously inter- fered with and the production by the cows during the following year is greatly decreased. By limiting the record period to ten months, cows may be regularly bred so as to drop a calf at intervals of about twelve months, may go dry for at least a month, and the future usefulness of the cows in the herd will not be jeopardized. Breeders who are anxious to obtain good results from their cows beyond the special period while they are placed on tests may, therefore, enter their cows in the competition without danger of interfering with the general system of herd management adopted. COMPETITION OPEN TO ALL KINDS OF COWS The competition is not restricted to pure-breds, but is open to all kinds of cows, including grades, and cows of mixed breeding. Cows of the latter classes do not come into competition with pure-breds in the awards of most prizes, since a considerable number of the prizes are awarded for records made by such cows only. The value of the cash prizes to be competed for by grades alone amounts to over $1000, and a large number of special prizes will be awarded for records made by grade or common cows, or by cows irrespective of their breeding. It is hoped that the provision made for liberal prizes for this class of cows will appeal to many farmers owning common dairy herds and that they will enter cows in the competition in large numbers. PRIZES OFFERED IN THE COMPETITION The following prizes will be awarded for records made in the competition : I. Herd Prizes: For the highest production of butter-fat by ten cows in a herd during ten consecutive months : 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize 4th Prize (a) Jerseys or Guernseys $300.00 $200.00 $100.00 $50.00 (b) Holsteins 300.00 200.00 100.00 50.00 (c) Grades and other cows not included in groups (a) or (b) 300.00 200.00 100.00 50.00 Total (12 prizes) $1950.00 II. Individual Prizes: For the highest production of butter-fat by a cow during ten consecutive months : (a) Jerseys or Guernseys ., $200.00 $100.00 $50.00 $25.00 (6) Holsteins 200.00 100.00 50.00 25.00 (c) Grades and other cows not included in groups (a) or (fe) 200.00 100.00 50.00 25.00 Total (12 prizes) $1125.00 Special Prizes. — In dairy bull calves, dairy apparatus, feed, cash, trophies, etc. A. Pure-bred Bull Calves. — 1. For the highest average production of butter fat during 10 consecutive months, by a grade herd of 10 to 25 cows headed by a pure-bred sire, four prizes, choice of: An Ayrshire, Guernsey, Holstein, or Jersey bull calf — donated, respectively, by J. W. Clise, Seattle, Washington; A. B. Humphrey, Mayhews, California; K. W. Abbott, Milpitas, California; and N. B. Locke Co., Lockeford, California. 2. For the highest average production of butter fat during 10 consecutive months, by a grade herd of more than 25 cows, headed by a pure-bred sire, four prizes, choice of: An Ayrshire, Guernsey, or Jersey bull calf, donated, respectively, by E. B. McFarland, San Francisco, California; W. A. Saylor, San Francisco, California; C. G. McFarland, Tulare, California; and of $100 worth in pure-bred Guernsey or Hampshire males, donated by Dr. J. W. Henderson, Berkeley, California. B. Milking Machines, Cream Separators, Feeds. — 3. For the two herds having the largest and next to the largest number of cows producing over 300 pounds of butter fat in 10 consecutive months, two prizes, choice of: A 2-unit outfit of the "Calf -Way" Milker, donated by the "Calf -Way" Milker Company, Chicago, Illinois, and a 2-unit Sharpies Mechanical Milker, donated by the Sharpies Separator Company, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Milking machines are awarded for use in winner 's herd only. 4. For the highest average of butter fat by 10 cows in a grade herd, five prizes (winner of first three cash prizes barred), choice of: A No. 35 Iowa Cream Separator, capacity 850 pounds per hour, donated by the Associated Manufacturers Company, Waterloo, Iowa. A No. 5 Simplex Cream Separator, capacity 500 pounds per hour, donated by Baker & Hamilton, San Francisco, California. A No. 6 Anker-Holth Cream Separator, capacity 600 pounds, donated by Beck Hardware Company, San Francisco. An M-2 Baltic Cream Separator, capacity 300 pounds per hour, donated by the Empire Cream Separator Company, Bloomfield, New Jersey. A No. 2 Primrose Cream Separator, donated by the International Harvester Company of America, San Francisco. 5. For the highest average production of three cows in the same herd, 2y 2 years to 314 years old at the beginning of the Competition, A No. 15 De Laval Cream Separator, capacity 675 pounds, donated by the De Laval Dairy Supply Company, San Francisco, California. 6. For the highest production of butter fat during 10 consecutive months by a cow entered in the Competition, 5 tons of Larrowe's Dried Beet Pulp, offered by the Larrowe Milling Com- pany, Los Angeles, California, provided, that if the winner of this prize consumed not less than one half-ton of Larrowe's Dried Beet Pulp in her ration during the record period, the quantity to be awarded shall be increased to 15 tons. C. Cash Prises. — 7. For the highest production of butter fat during 10 consecutive months by five cows in a herd, bred by the owner, three prizes: $150 each for (a) pure-bred cows, (b) grade cows, (c) cows irrespective of their breeding — offered by the Country Life Department of The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California. No cow shall compete in more than one of these groups. 8. For the highest and next to the highest production of butter fat during 10 consecutive months by a cow in the Imperial Valley, two prizes, respectively: $25 and $15, offered by Barber & Thomson Company, Los Angeles, California. 9. For the highest average production of butter fat by 5 cows in a grade herd, headed by a pure-bred sire, during each calendar month, November, 1916, to Febru- ary, 1918, inclusive: A cash prize of $25 per month, donated by the Pacific Rural Press, San Francisco, California — The same individual cows shall compete only once for this prize. 10. For the highest production of butter fat for one year by herds belonging to a cow-testing association, three prizes: One hundred dollars each for herds of (a) 10 to 25 cows, (b) 26 to 50 cows, (c) over 50 cows; offered by the California Cultivator, Los Angeles, California. Association records for twelve consecutive months during the period of November, 1916, to February, 1918, will be considered in the award of these prizes; entries to close February 28, 1917. All heifers and cows in milk during six months or more must be included in the average for the herd. 11. For the highest production of butter fat by a grade cow for each month during the year 1917 : A cash prize of $10 a month, offered by McAlister & Sons, Chino, California Records made by the same cows shall only be considered once in the award of this prize. 12. (a) For the highest average production of butter fat by ten cows in a grade herd, headed by a pure-bred bull out of a dam with a semi-official yearly record at least. 10 per cent in excess of the average butter fat production of the herd, and (b) For the highest average production of butter fat by ten cows in a registered pure-bred herd, covering a period of ten months. Two prizes of $150 and $100, respectively, offered by the Livestock and Dairy Journal, Sacramento, California. D. Trophies and Medals. — 13. For the highest production of milk during 10 consecutive months by a cow irrespective of her breeding: A silver trophy, donated by Scott, Magner & Miller, San Francisco, California. 14. For the highest records of a registered Jersey cow and by 10 cows in a grade herd, sired by a registered Jersey bull: Two cups, offered by the American Jersey Cattle Club, New York City, New York. 15. For the highest records by a registered Guernsey cow and by 10 cows in a grade herd, sired by a registered Guernsey bull: Two trophies, offered by the American Guernsey Cattle Club, Peterboro, New Hampshire. 16. For the highest records by a registered Holstein cow and by 10 cows in a grade herd, sired by a registered Holstein bull : Two silver cups, offered by the Holstein -Friesian Association of America, Brattleboro, A r ermont. 17. For the largest production of butter fat during 10 consecutive months by a cow bred by the owner: One gold medal. 2 18. For the largest production of butter fat during 10 consecutive months by 5 cows in a herd, bred by the owner: One gold medal. 2 Summary of Prizes Offered Approximate Number Value Cash prizes for 10 months' records (prize fund) 24 $3175 Cash prizes for 10 months' records (special prizes) 10 1040 Cash prizes for monthly records 28 520 Special prizes in dairy apparatus, etc 26 2670 88 $7405 In addition to the preceding prizes, at least one of the creamery companies of the state will pay one-half of the expense incident to the testing of herds owned by their patrons. The rules governing the conduct of official tests, and details relat- ing to their conduct, will be found in Circular 135, above referred to, and will not be repeated here. The following special rules will govern the conduct of the competition. EULES GOVERNING THE COMPETITION 1. Any cow owned by a resident of the State of California may be entered in the competition. 2. The awards of prizes offered in the competition, except as other- wise given, shall be made on the basis of the production of butter- fat during a period of ten consecutive months, as determined by the system of semi-official testing of dairy cows. 3. Cows entered in the competition shall be tested for two days of every month, as arranged for by the rules governing semi-official 2 Cost defrayed from donations to prize fund received in excess of cash prizes offered in the competition. yearly tests in this State. Grade cows may, however, be tested for only one day each month, if desired. 4. In order not to place young animals at a handicap in the award of prizes, the records for production actually made by cows under five years of age shall be increased in accordance with the average results obtained in authenticated yearly tests of cows of different ages, as follows : Records made by cows under 2 1 /) years at the beginning of the test shall be increased by 30 per cent, and those made by older heifers and cows shall be increased as follows : for heifers 2y 2 to 3 years old, by 24 per cent; for cows 3 to 3% years, by 18 per cent; 3% to 4 years, by 15 per cent ; 4 to 4% years, by 8 per cent, and 4i/> to 5 years, by 5 per cent. 5. The owner shall furnish a correct monthly statement of the amount of milk produced by the cows entered in the competition and of the kinds and amounts of the different feeds eaten by them. Blanks for reporting milk yields and the feed eaten will be furnished free of charge for this purpose. Milk records calculated from the data ob- tained in the monthly tests may be used, at the option of the Ex- periment Station authorities, for arriving at the production of the cows, in the place of those reported by the owners or where regular milk records are not kept by the owner. 6. Records of production for the competition may begin on the fifth day after calving and shall close ten months from the date of the beginning of the test. A cow will not, as a rule, be tested prior to the fourteenth day from freshening. When an official test of a cow in the competition, of seven days' duration or longer is conducted during a month, the average fat content for this period shall be used for the calculation of the production of butter-fat by the cow during that month. 7. Failure to get a cow in calf before the end of the fifth month after calving shall bar her from competing for any but the monthly prizes and the trophies offered by the various breed associations. 8. The cost of the monthly two-day tests conducted in connection with the competition shall be $7.50 for each farmer, and that of one- day tests of grade cows, $5. This cost includes all direct expenses of the tests to farmers, except room and board of the supervisors while on duty, «and transportation to and from the nearest railway station or ranch where tests are conducted. 9. The maximum number of cows in a herd that may be tested at one time shall be fifteen if the cows are milked twice a day; ten if any are milked three times a day; and eight if any are milked four times 8 a day. No cow entered in the competition shall be milked more than four times a day, and this number of times only when yielding over 60 pounds of milk per day. 10. The maximum amount of prize money paid to any one breeder (exclusive of monthly and special prizes) shall be $500. Prizes shall only be awarded to the bona fide owner of a cow at the time her record is completed. Only records of production of 365 pounds of butter-fat or more by pure-bred cows for ten months shall be considered in the award of cash prizes. 11. Where a choice of two or more prizes is offered, the highest production shall entitle the owner to first choice, the next highest to second choice, etc., in the order of decreasing production. In the award of prizes to be made in the Competition, it shall be considered that a grade cow is the progeny of a pure-bred bull and a grade or common cow, and that a common or "scrub" cow is the progeny of a "scrub" or a grade bull. 12. All questions not covered by the preceding rules or by the rules governing the semi-official tests in this state, shall be decided by the Chief of the Division of Animal Husbandry in the College of Agricul- ture of the University of California, whose decision shall be final. Applications for entry in the competition may be made any time prior to May 1, 1917, when the entries will close. Records of pro- duction may commence on November 1, 1916 and prizes will be awarded for records for ten consecutive months made prior to March 1, 1918. Entry blanks and further information concerning the competition will be furnished upon request. Address, Professor F. W. Woll, in charge of dairy tests, University Farm, Davis, California. The California State Dairy Cow Competition offers a rare oppor- tunity for breeders and dairy farmers to have records of production by their cows considered in the award of the many and substantial prizes offered in the competition and at the same time to get their pure- bred cows into the Advanced Registers of the various breed associa- tions. For this reason, and on account of the general advancement of the dairying industry of the state, which will result from a large participation in the competition, it is hoped that all breeders of dairy cattle so situated that they can enter cows in the competition, and farmers who own cows of exceptional productive capacity, whether pure-breds, grades, or of mixed breeding, will avail themselves of the opportunity offered by this competition to establish the value of their cows for dairy production.