Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-12-28
Care Of Dairy Cows.

! be kept under such circumstance may
/ CARDS the condition of the byres ~ - re
! pons, in which they necessarily s,on1ip
much OF their tlme-in the case ~ .@
diaries all their time--that all the oa avn
tages arising from having good cows ~, , az
] be lost. The condition of Some M
! houses is such as, we have no hes;,n."'
in saying, reflects as little credit ,o ,a'. ~.
humanity, as it does upon the bnsi.Ae
guidance of those who have tban,
such places, it is impossible that COW. a.. a
be healthy, as it is equally impossibIe,baaal
unhealthy animals can, in the trua b lia'
ness sense Of the term, "pav" | ~
houses, therefore, should be well bp;,+ nc
as at least TO be wind and wn',t y
! tight" which they not always are
ventilated, and large enough to give a @oh
COW plenty of room in her stall and nlo a.n
of room for the dunging and faed;n!
passages. The difference between M
cost of a roomy house, and confined ona
is mere trifie, and should not be consS'
cred, in view of the future comfort il CIV,
to the animal, and the greater ease 1r;I
which it enables the house to he boz.
clean.
We are advocates for single stalls 7.
! is too often overlooked that cows nv
ourselves, have their own ways tbar
| likes and their dislikes, and cow com
| PEELED to be tied up, almost as in Soma
cases perpetually with another animal
with which it cannot agree, cannot he nm
der the circumstances in which she CAN
give the best results. Perfect cleanpess
in every part of the COW house is Of q.
sential importance; to Judge from tbo
I in, WI oh
are kept, we would think that this was
not essential The stalls should be KEN
clean, and not only SO, bat the walls free
from cobwebs and dust; and not less es.
sential is it, that the managers should no
kept clean also. If we would only paya
little attention to the habits OF our farm
animals, it would be seen that they are
scrupulously clean, almost fastdiouslyo
Much of the benefit of good food is os
by giving it badly prepared, and in drt7
! managers or boxes. We have alluded b
the importance of ventilation, but The
benefit of this will be to a large e1tev
lost if the interior of the house is NJ
kept clean 1t is of little use to admit
fresh air to the interior, if it is only there
to be mixed with noXious examinations
arising from the presence OF dirt
! Another point to be attended to is the
bedding or littering for the cows in
many cases this is grossly neglected-the
animals being kept in very uncomfor
able condition. As a rule, the long straw,
which is generally used, is used in way
anything but economical by far the most
efficient and most economical way to use
straw, is to cut it with the straw-cutter
This may appear to be costly mode Of
using it, but it is quite the reverse. Less
straw is required in this form than if used
long, and it not only admits of the drop.
pings of the COW being lifted easily
away without disturbing the rest OF the
bedding, but it is, when done well, in the
best condition for the manure heap. Saw
dust also forms an excellent beddingaS do
leaves and fine tanners bark
But not only should the house be kept
clean, but it is essential that the animals
themselves be so also. 1t is unnecessary
here to describe in detail the influence
which the skin has upon the health of an
animal suffice it TO say, that it performs
most important functions, which cannot
be performed if the coat of the COW IL
kept in filthy condition, filled with dus,
or coated over with patches OF hardened
manure; this condition of body induces
+ the attacks, and aggrayates the evil effects
of lice, etc All sorts of cures are advO-
Gated for this plague of parasites with
which cows are afflicted, but if they were
kept perfectly clean there would be fewer
occasions when such cases would benece
sary. Prevention is better than cure, and
by attending to the cleanliness of the COW,
much would be prevented. Cows should
be curry combed, or, at all events, rubbed
down carefully several times a day with
wisp of straw, and all manure removed
from their coats. All this may be con-
sidered troublesome, as no doubt IT IS;
but then anything worth doing is mot done
without trouble, and to make cows pay
cannot surely be called an unnecessary
trouble.
Another point in the general care Of
the cow is, that it be dealt with gently.
1t is pitiable to think how frequently COWS
ale treated, cruelty kicked, struck about
the head, and otherwise ill-treated.
Apart from other circumstances, cruelty
is costly, and should therefore never be
tolerated in servants. The first ofiense
found out may be forgiven, the second
should be followed with dismissal, Cows,
1 like horses, have fine nervous organlza
ton, and everything which interfcres WIN
this interferes with the discharge OF the
| proper functions of the animal. We can
tell at once, from the way cows look al
servants and watch their movements,
whether the servants treat the COWS crue-
ly or not Unkind and harsh treatment
renders the milk liable to turn acid, and
by depriving it of its buttery elements,
makes it poor A hurried, worried COW
breathes, of necessity, more rapidly, thus
inhaling more oxygen than is necessary
for the purposes of health respiration; tne
oily portions of the food are consumed
which would otherwise go to the forma'
! ton of the richer elements of the milk
| We have said that the COW house shouia
be well built, wind and weather-prooi,
and be well ventilated but at the same
time the temperature should be kept a.
uniform as possible, and in winter time u
should be such as to keep the anlnar
| comfortable; if kept in a cold, almos'
shiveringly cold, atmosphere, most pre-
Judicial influence upon the milking prop
critics of our cows is created. 1t Is douot
less suggestion sin advance OF INC
times, but there can be no doubt OF tiiis,
that it would pay to have all cow-houses
so fitted up, that in cold weather UNI
formly warm temperature could be MAN,
tanned. This would be best if it ranger
between sixty and sixty-five degrees. NE
'fr.finGpnant ~ nc will ha lISnOSeu