Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-09-10
Water for Cows.

Water for Cows.
While it is most villainous practice
to put even pure water in the milk can,
it is equally reprehensible to put impure
water in the cow. She is, however, hot
machine, and needs large quantity of
cool water to keep her in good condition.
Besides, milk itself is com posed of more
than eighty per cent. water. That is,
the COW puts that much in it.
The question of how best to water
COWS is an important one. Ponds are
Objectionable for several reasons They
are hotbeds, so to speak, for all kinds of
creeping and swimming things. In
most sections of the country a green
slime forms on top of still ponds that
must not only be offensive to the COW,
thus causing her to drink less than she
otherwise would, but it must, in mess
ure affect her health. Cows have an
ugly habit of standing in ponds to keep
the flies off their legs. Some dairymen
think this causes the milk to dry up
1t certainly does cause toss of milk by
the cow idling away SO much of her
time in this way, a point that dairymen
do not consider.
Probably the best way to keep COWS
well-watered is to have clear, pebbly-
bottoned brook running the whole
length of the pasture, and as near
through the center of it as possible.
Cows lose much milk by having to walk
far to get to the water.
In brook she has it always at hand,
and cannot only always help herself, but
the temptation is always before her.
Running water is undoubtedly more
pure than standing water, where both
are exposed to the open sun and air.
Wells pumped by wind power furnish
the purest water, and if the receptacle is
small, and the pump kept constantly
going, we know Of 40 better way to water
COWS. There is always this serious
objection to this plan, however, lat the
boss cows, and there are always four or
five of them in herd, will take pos
session of the tank, and while she is
fighting flies over the water the young
er and weaker members of the herd
must go without their drink. The best
way to avoid this trouble is to have the
tank made long and narrow in preference
to short and broad.
We have never seen plan that alto
gether suited us for watering COWS in the
stable. We have no doubt it may be
done, but there many troubles to over
come. The water must be constantly
running, for if allowed to stand any time
the amount of dirt and bad odors it will
absorb is amazing. Water changes its
temperature slowly, and for that reason
is frequently in every twenty four hours
colder than the surrounding atmosphere,
which causes the moisture of the air to
condense on the surface of the water,
thus actually pouring all the impurities
of the air into the water. To note a
striking instance of this, let pitcher of
water stand for few days in a bed
chamber, when it is certain to become
highly offensive. We know of no prac-
tice more reprehensive than that of
allowing COWS to drink out of puddles in
the barnyard where everything is more
or less tainted with manure. It is as
tonishing what filthy water COWS will
drink when they are hot and thirsty.
The only way to prevent their doing it is
to have pure water always at hand. Do
not fatter yourself that she will walk
very far to get it, either, If anything
particularly filthy is close st hand.
There is no way that water can be
more proftably fed to a cow than to
mix it with her food. What is called
"slopping a COW is of prime value in
milk production. Nothing about the
dairy pays better than the labor required
for mixing up cows food for her, and
the more water you get into her this
way the better.-Ansericom Dairymsan.