Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], March 01, 1950, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
%
O
Tß
March 1, 1950
&o 1 <
A
f*.
1 ,.;.
.
*
I
r
.
I
'■'■■
I
& ; r
i
m *
•:v.
m
:%•
mm ■
#,
■%<:
{■
Pw
il
'iM
i
If
•;v :
i
■«■
J
'
my,
:
f
■
■À %
4M
%
mjS
m
:z : &
H11
%-ÿ>à
t b
v ; :
'
Part of the purebred Holstein herd at the Laurence Christie dairy farm, G allatin county. In background is shed where Christie stores and feeds hay.
Good Feeding, Care, Management P ay O ff
GOOD FEEDING, CARE and manage
ment pay off. For example, take Laurence
Christie's dairy farm near Bozeman.
Christie has a farm up Bridger canyon,
about six miles out of town. His dairy herd
is one of the highest-producing in the state.
It's because of the way its been built up.
His barn and feeds are simple, his pasture
only average and he has no more money
invested than the average farmer, but the
results will stand up with any in the state.
Last year, quoting from Herd Improve
ment Registry figures, he had nine cows
tested under this plan with an average of
13,029 pounds of milk and 451.1 pounds of
butterfat under two-time milking.
Average Over 400 Pounds Butterfat
This is his best record, although he's
averaged over 400 pounds of butterfat for
the past three years. In 1947 eight cows
averaged 469.4 pounds of butterfat and in
1946, 414 pounds.
This has brought him good returns. Last
year for instance he averaged $515.84 per
cow from sale of dairy products. During
that time the cost of feed was $199.39, leav
ing him a return per cow above cost of
feed, of $316.45. He admits this would have
been quite a bit higher if he had had better
pasture. However, it's still a good return
for the amount of money and labor invested.
320 Acres; None Irrigated
To begin with, the Christie place consists
of 320 acres with 100 acres of tillage land,
40 of which is bottomland.. None of it is ir
rigated, although about 20 acres can get a
little extra moisture when there is flood wa
ter in the spring.
When he took the family place over from
his father in 1934, there was the question
of what to raise. He didn't have the land for
large grain crops or beef cattle, and inten
sive cropping practices would have stripped
the soil of its fertility.
That seemed to point to dairying. It of
S MONTANA AND N
ITHERN WYOMING
Oil
fered a steady in
come, and there's
a good local milk
market in Boze
man. So he
started building
up the dairy herd.
His father had
been using grade
Holstein cows
and purebred
bulls for several
years and at first
Laurence con
tinued this prac
tice. Then he
started getting
purebred Hol
steins.
Since that time
the herd has built
up considerably.
He was milking
about 18 to 20
cows fof a while but since that time he's
culled his herd to 26 head of purebreds.
Right now he's milking about a dozen cows.
However, he's working back to a milking
herd of about 18 or 20 cows again because
he feels this is the most economically sized
group.
Proved Sires
In 1938 he got his first herd sire from the
government proven-sire project at Huntley
and has been using government bulls ever
since, keeping records of the results from
the various bulls. One bull in particular
gave an average increase of 73 pounds of
butterfat and was a great help in Christie's
attempt to reach greater production.
His herd has been tested in the Gallatin
Dairy Herd Improvement association and
on private testing since 1935 and on of
ficial Herd Improvement Registry tests
since. 1946.
V
-
_Montana Extension Service Photo«
Mrs. Laurence Christie and family.
Mr. and
Christie wholesales part of his milk to the
co-operative creamery and the balance is
separated on the farm. He raises hogs and
his skim milk helps him to grow better pigs
and calves.
Pasture, Alfalfa
At the present time he has about 20 acre«
of bottom land in pasture, but by running
the cows on bunch grass pasture from
about May 1st to July 1st, he gets the most
good from the bunch grass, saving the bot
tom pasturage for July and August.
He grows as much alfalfa as possible and
for grain he seeds a mixture of barley,
wheat and oats together by weight and
grows his grain mixture in that way. This
saves him labor in mixing feed for his cows
but still gives him plenty of good feed and
enough straw for bedding in winter.
In other words, Christie's feed for the cat
tle is homegrown. (Please turn to page 34.)