Herdtesting Cows in New Zealand
Part One

How does a farmer know which cows are 
performing well and giving good milk?  
Herdtesting is the means by which we 
establish the worth of our cows.  

We herdtest four times a year.  Special 
flasks and equipment are delivered to 
the farm and set up in the cowshed.  

The cows are milked as usual, but a 
milk sample is collected from each 
cow.  Above, Dad is walking down the 
shed pit writing the cow numbers on the 
flasks.

Mum follows 
Dad and it is 
her job to 
collect the 
samples.  She 
lifts the 
suction cap, 
removes the 
flask ...

places a new 
empty flask 
for the next 
cow, then 
places the lid 
on the milk 
sample and in 
the tray.

Dylan and I then take the milk samples 
from Mum and place them in trays with 
numbers.  These numbers match the cow 
numbers in our herd.  We have to be 
careful we place the right flask in the 
correct slot.  There are 380 cows to 
herdtest!!

(Continued in Part Two)