Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-05-02
Management and Feeding Stock.

From the New England tarmersI
/ have had the care of COWS for the last
forty years, and never had a case of abor-
ton. In the first place, endeavor to
have their diet as uniform as possible,
summer and winter. / put my cows in
the stables about:the first of November,
and feed with a variety of plants, herds
grass, red-tOp clover, water grasses, brakes,
skunk cabbage, wild woTmwOod, alder
leaves and such other plants as they get in
the summer-tOO numerous to mention.
I turn TO pasture about the middle of
May. A portion of my pasture has gen
orally been new land, furnishing the sweet
est of feed from cultivated grasses, with
low swamp grasses also a variety OF
browse, such as chestnut, maple, white,
red, and black oak, white and black birch,
ash, pine, hemlock, alders, sweet fern,
skunk cabbage, NORWOOD low laurel,
not the poison laurel, &c. Water gushes
from springs and runs in sluggish
streams through the pasture, so that the
cattle can have it cold or warm; and /
have noticed that they sometimes drink
the one and sometimes the Other-show-
ing that they like a variety of water as
well as of food.
Cows kept on such q variety of food and
water, not allowed to come in till three
years of age, which g, dry two months
previous to calving, that suckle their
calves only a day or two, will seldom have
any trouble from miscarriage.
/ have often not allowed the calf to
suck at ALL Tie up the COW at once and
milk her, and feed the calf, The calf may
not do quite as well, but the cow will be
more quiet, below less when turned to
pasture, seldom have sore teats, and the
calf can be put in the same pasture with
the COW, if L raise it.
AS a general thing 1 have taken care
of my cows and milked them myself.
They have been treated with kindness,
and know nothing of being kicked, whip
ped or pounded. I never had kicking
cow, and when see notices in the Farm
Err of such animals I almost wonder that
people are not ashamed to complain, as
/ think there is no need of having kick
ing cows, if properly managed. L have
generally raised my COWS from calves.
From the first treat them in such way
| that they like to be handled. When ]
milk heifer for the first time, | soften
the teats with milk, begin very moder-
ately and as easily for the animal as posi-
BILE. If she steps round, [ talk to her
soothingly; but never strike or kick her.
Thus treated they will soon learn that
/ they are not going to be hurt, and will
4 stand Stlll. A nelIer once carved Wnen
was away from home. / went out in the
evening after getting home and MIXED
her in the lane, for the first time, without
| trouble.
have never fed much meal, or grain OF
| any kind, or roots, as have not made O
| business of selling milk still have kept
one or two cows during the winter for milk
I for the family. Sellingmilk may probably
| be more profitable where farmers live near
| village or city, if they do not feed toe
high. But if meal and roots are freely used
| for the sake of getting a great amount Of
/ milk, it will tend to injure the cow unless
fed systematically the yearround. It is like
feeding horse all the grain he will eat
| and then working him hard to get pay fol
/ it. A horse thus treated will soon veal
/ out. It is far better to feed a horse good
hay, with little grain and work mOdera'
tely, as he will last much longer, and bt
more profitable in the long run. By higf
feed cows are liable to disease but if Judi
ciously fed and kindly treated, there will
| be little trouble from abortion or other all
ments. NJ. L. GoODELL.