Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-04-01
Spring Care Of Dairy Cows.

turns, and many Of them are not
willing to wait for the results of
good. feeding. They are doubtful
about trusting the COW for two
or three months for extra winter
feed, fearing it will not be refunded.
They are too often unwilling to give
liberal ration even for the month
before calving. As the COW is not
giving milk, they think it sufficient
to feed enough to keep her from
losing flesh rapidly. If they quite
understood the rationale OF milk pro-
duction they would have the greatest
confidence in the COW as savings
bank for surplus food. 4 good COW
can always be trusted.to repay with
liberal interest all the extra food she
can digest during the time she goes
dry. Such COW is usually thin
after season of milking, and unless
she is fed so liberally as to recover
her fieshy condition, she will not give
give her full quantity of milk. Every
dairyman is familiar with the fact
that good COW, coming in in full
flesh, will milk down thin unless lib
orally fed during the milking season.
They ought to see from this that the
extra flesh is laid up in winter to be
drawn out in milk during the summer.
Every pound of extra flesh repre-
sents about one gallon of milk, to be
drawn during summer.
IL two cows of equal milking quail
ity are taken, the one poor and the
other in good flesh on coming in
milk, and both placed in a good pas
ture, the one in good condition will
be likely to yield gallon of milk in
excess of the other, during the sea-
son, fol every pound Of extra flesh
she possesses over the other, IT
dairymen would make such accurate
observations upon the effect of con-
dition upon milch cows--as they
have every opportunity to do-they
would require no argument to In
duce them TO feed their dry cows
most literally.
The winter season is now so far
gone as TO leave only four to six
weeks OF feeding before the milking
season will commence, according to
the various times of calving; and
the dairyman who has not fed his
cows rs well as his interest required
during the early part of the winter,
should do what he can to recover his
lost ground, by feeding judiciously
during the. few weeks left. 1t being
so near calving time, he should be
cautious about giving food Of too
heating nature. Cornmeal alone
should not be given, if that can be
avoided and, if nothing else is at
hand, it should be fed upon cut hay,
so as to have it thoroughly mixed
with fibrous food before entering the
stomach. Corn and oats, ground
together-one bushel of corn to two
of oats-makes one of the best foods
for dry cows. The food most needed
by the COW at this season is
such as will build up her mus
cular system, and re-invigorate
her vitality. The food should be
rich in phosphate of lime; for she Is
often depleted of this during the
milking period, so rs to render her
bones spongy; and the diseases that
afilict cows in spring nre usually oc-
casioned by the poverty of the food
given through the winter. Cows
that are fed upon good clover hay
during winter, usually recover their
vigor, because clover Is rich in mus
Gle forming matter and phosphate oi
lime. Oats, peas, wheat-bran and
oil meal are all rich in phosphate OF
lime, and are excellent TO give the
COW renewed vitality during her non.
lacteal period. Care must be taken
to give oil meal in very small quanti-
ty at this period, as the time of calv.
ing approaches, and especially If II
has not been given through the win.
ter; yet one pint per day through
the whole period of going dry will
assist very materially In keeping the
COW in health; and 1t often prevents
the evil effect of dry, innutritious
fodder. When given through the
winter, we have never known impac.
tion of the manifolds.
0atsand bran, mixed together, will
be excellent food at this period; and
if this food is continued after calving
it will help TO establish a good yield
of milk. During the FIRST week after
calving the diet should be spare
not so necessary II the COW Is thin
but IL fcshy she should be kept or
hay, except aquart of oil meal, which
Is laxative and cooling. After all
danger from milk fever Is past, tbs
faadiua ahouId ha fnnat liberal al ns