River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-03-15
House. Farm and Garden.
Cows Coming in Milk. I"

4 NONs NOUlu- III Mia.
The time is now at hand when cows
are coming in milk on dairy farms,
and word by way of suggestion wilt
not be out of place. There is no sea.
son of the year when stock requires
more vigilant attention than now since
neglect and want of care will be very
likely to result in serious losses. Cows
near the time of calying ought not to
be exposed to driving storms of sieet
and snow that frequently occur in Feb
ruary and March, because, by being
thus exposed, they not unfrequently
contract colds which lead to serious
disorders after calving, thus injuring
the usefulness of the animal if not
frequently resulting in total loss. We
have known of seven cases of garget
to come from exposure of Gcws to
storms just before aalving, and in
many instances animals have been
| treated for "horn ail' and other fam
cied disorders when the whole trouble
was nothing more than the effect of
cold and exposure. On all stormy or
bleak days it is better to keep the ami
mails housed and box-stalls or sepa-
rate stables should be allowed where
more liberty is permitted than in the
stanchion. We are aware that many
dairymen hold TO the opinion that
cows that are looming i'm are safer
in the stanchion than out of it; and
there is a large number of dairymen
that allow their cows to calve while in
| the stanchion. This seems to us to be a
cruel practice it is contrary to nature
since the animal cannot choose her
position and is liable to slip and strain
herself in the worry to get to her calf
to perform the necessary Office of
cleansing 1t.
OF course there is less trouble to the
dairyman to keep cows standing in the
stanchion at such times, and less room
is required in the management of his
stock, but the loss of single imal
not unfrequently more than balances
all the gain to be obtained from the
practice during the year. We have
frequently seen cows slip and become
so weakened in the back, while at.
tempting to rise in the stanchion after
calving, las to become useless for milking
and in some cases the inversion of the
womb or casting of the ''calf-bag may
be traced to the convulsive efforts of
the cow in confined position where
she cannot readily hep herself. From
abundant practical experience with
cows, calving in the stanchiol and in
the loose box or stable by herself we
are Convinced that the latter is by far
the best practice. Parturition having
been accomplished, the cow should be
left quietly with the calf, the licking
and cleaning of it being one of the OPP
erations which nature designs, as not
only beneficial to the COW, bat TO the
calf, the gentle friction increasing cir
culation, thus giving warmth and vigor,
which soon enables 1t to draw its sus'
tenance from the mother without diff
fculty. Or the calf may be assisted
to take its first milk and will then or
! dinarily be able to get its food with
| out help.
Some dairymen insist that the cow,
soon after calving, should be allowed
TO 60 to the trough and take all the
cold water that the appetite Graves.
We do not approve of this course,
preferring to give her pail of tepid
water in which a little bran is mingled,
making a thin Cruel. Our practice
has been to give freely of tepid water,
or sufficient to satisfy thirst, and not
to allow cold water from the trough
until the third day, and not then if the
cow seems to be weak or ailing. 1t is
important that the milk from the I'D
der be completely drawn soon after
the cow has calved, and if the bag is
swollen or inhamed, it will require at. |
tention in this respect, frequently
three or four times during the day.
So soon as the feverish condition of the
COW incident to calving, shall have
subsidized, generous feed should be
given, bran meshes at first, which
should be increased gradually with adj
ditions of oaten meal and rations of
roots of which mangolds and carrots
are best, as they give no unpleasant
flavor to the milk.
Strict attention should be observed
in keeping milch COWS in well venti-
lated and warm stables and not allow
ing them to be exposed to storms and
cold. The animals should be kept in
vigorous, thrifty condition until time
to turn to grass. 1t is great mistake
to allow mich cows to run down thin
and weak during the spring months,
| since, by this course large share of
the season will be required in recuper-
ating, and during this time the habit
of yielding a small quantity OF milk
will have its influence ali through the
season. The only way to get the best
returns is to keep the animals in
thrifty condition from the first and TO
stimulate full flow of milk before
the time for turning 10 grass, and then,
when turned upon succulent food the
most abundant returns may be ex-
pected.
The practice of carding cows in
spring adds greatly to their product
iveness of milk because it improves
health and adds to their comfort. The
one great secret of success in the man
agement of mich cows is comfort in
its broadest sense and this not only
includes good feed and good quarters,
regularity in feeding and milking, but
kindness in all its various phases ex-
tending even to tones Of the voice.