Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-09
QDbIo Statesr1arr.
Trminin" EeIfers.

In my own eXperlence-nOC SNORT one
have found great majority OF the faults
or vices of cows to arise from the worse
faults or vices of those who rear and use
them. Kindness to all dun animals, should
be the first law OF their government; and
when kindness and good management fail
to make the COW, IN disposition, be what
she ought, her case may as well be given
up, and herself consigned to the shambIes.
| have reared great many heiiers into
milking cows-hundrcds Of them-and sell
dom had failure. not only In good milk
er, but in akind-tempercd, orderly animal.
More cows are spoiled with their hrst
0coming in than at any other age. TO
make the matter plain l will give my onw
method Of treatment.
After the creature is past year old, az
her second winterinG my heifers are tleu
regularly in the stable as are the milking
cows. This accustOms them to handling,
and the familiarity of the herdsman, and
| where they can be daily examined for ev-
cry all that may occur to them. When they
begin to "spring bag" for calving they
should be closely looked after, to see that
the udder is coming into right shape and
condition, free from inflammation, cake"
or other disorder; and if such occur, the
proper remedy-as sOttening and anoint-
| ING with fresh butter, oil, salt and water
or other emolient--shOud be applied, 50 as
to keep it always in plant and healthy
condi ion. Sometimes the flow of milk in
to the uddpr of the young heiter before
calving will be so free, that it is necessary
to draw ut out daily for days before she
drops the calf, or otherwise her bag would
| inflame and spoil. All these difficulties
cause pain, irritation, and frettulness IN the
Young animal, from which she IL only re-
| H.. l.,.N line. nfF
not relieved OF them, spoil her outright. If
thus properly treated, the young crature
comes in with her first calf fine, amiable,
kindly, useful COW. The herdsman having
| done his duty, there is usually little dill
Guilty thereafter.
| My cows are always, in summer as well
| as winter, driven into and tied in their
usual stalls in the stable, night and morn
ing, for milking; the reason for this is, that
| they are thus dLlCdyS under control no fright,
no Jumping, and running away, with a
milking stool vengetully thrown after them
by the eXasperated mixer, aud a muss,
perhaps with half the other COWS before
the offending animal is brought to her duty.
But this one would kick, with all sorts OF
treatment, though never chastised with
more than few strokes of light switch
when the most soothing efforts were eX-
|
| way. | bought what my English herds
man calls "a pair of bull dogs" 1t is an
instrument frequently found in the agri-
cultural stores for holding cattle by the
nose on the principle of pair of pinchers,
the short handles Of which are kept apart
by spiral wire spring, causing the pincher
points to press near together when clasp
ing the thin membrane of the nosJril behiud
t e nose. These points are rounded into
the size of a common muSket ball, being OF
cast iron, and the whole weighing scarcely
a halt pound. The cXtremities OF the
handles are perforated, so as to let small
rope pass through them; and when once
inserted into the nostril, the points press
closely, but not painfully, by the spring
keeping apart the handles,
Thus the COW becomes entirely under
CONTROL so far as the head is concerned. In
to these handles rope is fixed, and thrown
over a pole, or bit of scantling placed over
the manger, the nose raised to nearly a
horizontal line with her horns, and fasten-
ed. The whole operation does not take a
minute. In this position she cannot kick
if she tries. She may lit her feet, and
whisk her tail and fret little, but kick
she can't. She has never kicked, so secur-
ed-although, if let loose, bOtll pail ant
milker would soon be on the other side o.
the static. She is so tractable with this
lOng-continued discipline that the moment
the mixer approaches with his "bull-dogs'
she holds out her nose as kindly as if to re-
ceive a caress or favor, and Yields hel
bountiful flow of milk as graciously as the
kindest COW in the stable. A rope arount
the horns, running down and made a slip
/ moose over the nose, will answer the sam'
purpose. .-.,.
/ 1t may be said this is a peculiar case
Try it, Any COW can thus be deprived o
the power of kicking. Any creature, in
order to kick, must hold its head low or il
natural position. Kicking is an unusua
effort of the animal, and that the heel may
be raised for such purposes requires a strons
effort of the spine, the rear OF which mus
be somewhat elevated, ahd, to make tina
effort, the head and neck must be lowered
but the nose lifted to this horizontal posi-
ton, the power to kick ceases.-N. Y. Ob
serUer. AN OLD FARMER.