Herd recording in New Zealand : being a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M. Agr. Sc., Massey Agricultural College, University of New Zealand

(1)

Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for

a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and

private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without

the permission of the Author.

(2)

HERD

RECORDING

IN NEW

ZEALAND

by 'l, N,

EDEY

Massey University Library

New Zealand & Pacific Collection

Beilg a dissertation presented in partial

�11lment of the re�uirements for the degJee of M. Agr. Se.

' ' -

1

Maasey Agricultural

College,

Uni vers1 ty ot

ew Zealand.

January,

1952.

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PREFACE

Recent developments have made herd recording in New Zealand the responsibility of a single organi at1on,

t

he New Ze

a

_land Dairy Board, and since

August let, 1951,

there has been virtually only one system of recording.

However, since 1904, when the

D

_epartment of Agriculture intr�duoed systematic testing in the weraroa herd, m&QJ organisations

and

numerous systems of recording have

contributed to the development of the herd recording moTd- ment. The time is opportune, therefore, tor a

st.udy

o�

thie. work in New Zealand, embracing the histor.r o� production re^cor^ding^, a review of the associated. investiga•ional work, and an assessment of the past role and probable tutur place of herd recording 1n the improvement of dairy cow prodUction.

To supplement data from published material

much

informetion has been obtained from private files d personal interviews. In this respect, grate:ful ckn.Owledge- ment is due particularly to Professor w. Riddet tor e.ocess

to his private files relating to herd recording, and �or helpful discussion. �rhanka ^are due to

the

Director end staff of the Herd Recording Department of the New Zealand Dairy Board :t'or their assistance; to Mr. H. G. Philpott, late or the Dairy Division, Department of Agriculture;. to .Mr. c. M. Hume; to m,y supervisor, Dr. A.

Stewart

tor

helpful guidance

and

^c^rⁱ

t

^icⁱ^s

m

^; and to many others for their read�Y co-operation This work was completed during the tenure ot

a V

ictorian Government Scholarship.

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PRBi'ACE

CHAPlER

I.

TABLE 0"1

COBrENTS

PART ONE

HISTORY OF HERD RECORDING IN

NEW ZEALAND

THE

ORIGINS OF

_HERD RECORDING

11

Page

2 II. THE

ASSOCIA'l'ION SYSTEM

III.

IV.

v.

VI.

THE GROUP HERD TES'r MOVEMENT

( 1922-1951 )

1.

The Period of Independent Associations

12

1922-26

12

2.

The Period of control by the Dominion G.H. T. Federation and the Central

Bxecutive

1926-1936. 17

3.

The Period of Dair,y Board control

1936-1951. 32

THE RECORDING OF PEDIGREE CAfTLE 53 1. Introduction ot Pedigree Recor

ding

. 53

2. The Government Systems, Their Intro�

uction Methods and Early Progress.

56

3. The Government Systems since

192� 66 4. The Breed Societies and Herd Recording. 71 5. Pedigrees Under Group Herd Test. 76

6

^Ac

c

uracy of the Various Methods.

78

7. Summary.

80

RECENT DEVELOPMEN.rS AN.D Ctnm.ENT ORGANISATION

85

1. The Amalgamation of All Systems.

85

2. Current Organisation ot Herd Recording.

87

PART

^TWO

SURVEYS

_AND INVESTIGATIONS FACILITATED BY HERD RECORDING

CLASSIFICATION AND

CRITICISM

OF

SURVEY

TYPES

93

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CHAP.rER VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

Table of contents

SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY NEW ZEALAND DAIRY BOARD

I. wastage

i

n

Dair,y Stock,

l. Herd wastage.

2.

Sire wastage.

3. Calf wastage.

4. concl ueions.

II .. M&nagement and Husbandry

S

urve

ys

. l.

N u

tr

i

_t

i

_on

S

urv

e

ys^.

2. Farm Management P^r

o

j

e

ct

s

^.

3.

^Shed Management

Investigations.

III.

Production Surveys

and

Sundry Ana17s

a.

l. E�ective

Average Pr

o

d

u

c

ti o n Burve7.

2.

Sundry Analyses.

I

V. con cl us ^ion,

PARr THREE

HERD

IMPROVEM.ENI'

_MEASURES

ASSOCIATED WITH

HERD RECORDING

THE MARKED

CALF 8CHEME

PRODUCTION REGISTERS

iT

Pag lOO 100 102

116 118 122

l2

188 128 138

13'7

la7 14.0

14t2

146

157 1.

The

L

i

f

eti

_m

e

Merit

Register,

193�. 117

2.

PUblication of Merit Regis

t

e

r

s

^.

16g 3. The Value of Merit Registers. 160

SIRE SURVEY 164

1. The

Need tor Sire s

urv

ey. 165 2. The TechniQUe of Sire survey. 1'0

3. The Publication and Classification

of surveys. 182

�

Di

scu

ssion of the Exist ing System

of Sire Survey. 184

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CHAl::ITER

Table of contents

6. The

Ap�l1cat1on of

^Sire ^surve7

Results.

PART FO lJU

SUMM.AltY i\ND

CO!lCLUSIONS

XL

SUMMARY

AND

CONCLUSIONS

l. s:ummf.ir'J.

2. conclusions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES INDEX

"·

. .

T

p •

l

2

aos SOS 20 81.4- 284