Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-06-27
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Quality of MILK from Spaycd Cows.

Mr.. L. B. Arnold of Tompkins coun-
ty, writes to the Country Gentlemen |
have had few cows spayed by way of
experiment, and find the milk consider
ably improved, both in flavor and rich
ness, by the operation. My experience
in respect to the milk of such cows is in
accordance with others who have made
observations in regard TO it. From what
others had said of the richness of such
milk, an improvement was looked for, but
the trial has exceeded my expectations.
In the last week in November, 1871, 36
quarts of milk from two spayed COWS, it
being all they gave in six consecutive
DAYS, made six pounds of nice butter,
This is the largest yield of butter | ever
had from such a quantity OF milk. The
measure was wine quarts, which weighs
9 pounds and 9 ounces to the quart, max
ING the Weld pound of butter from
i23 pounds of milk. Just how much
Of this extraordinary richness is due to
the fact of spaying / cannot say. As
the experiment in spaying was not
aade to determine the improved quality
If the milk that might follow, but on
~ to ascertain the duration of the flow,
40 trial made previous tospaying to show
M exact richness of the milk, but
nothing like the above yield has ever
been obtained before In tests former
Il made it has required from 20 all the
way To Al pounds of milk to make a
pound of butter; the latter with the
milk of single cow that gave very
poor milk for butter. But the extraor-
binary quality above stated was not all
4 "a both CraU Upr
rich milk before spaying, for native
cows. one of them remarkably so; and
while they were together averaging only
six quarts day. they were given all the
ground feed they could appropriate, to
1T them for the butcher.
The milk of cows that come in every
year is undergoing a change in quality
through all the season of milking. rs
pecially after they are in calf does the
milk alter in quality. The nutriment
taken is divided between the tactical
glands and the support of the fetus, at
least so much of it as is not appropriate
ed TO the nourishment of the COW. The
active state of the generative organs,
hesides originating the flow of milk, has
marked influence on its composition
and flavor, and when that influence is re-
moved, as it is done by spaying, the
milk takes on new conditions, and among
them is an improvement in richness and
taste. Though my spayed cows have
produced the richest and best favored
milk have ever had, | do not consider
s1aying success, so far as it relates to
the quantity produced and the continu-
alton Of the flow, The large and unabat-
cd yield that has been said to follow
spaying. has not occurred with my cows.
The quantity has been kept up somewhat
better than with farrow cows, but it has
steadily diminished so that it has not
paid to milk longer than two years; the
milk, however, has been of the finest
quality to the last which is rarely the
case with farrow cows.
But for the purpose of fattening it
pays much better The few animals
with which / have experimental have
shown an unusual tendency to take on
both fat and flesh. Where cows have
come about to the termination of their
career as mixers, it may do well enough
to spay them, and let them give milk as
long as it will pay, and then feed them
for the butcher, but | would not advise
any lairyman to apply such treatment
10 valuable young cows.