The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-08-29
MILK FEVER.
How to Prevent This Complaint-The
Starvation Plan.

BJarVAtlOn Iians
The way to prevent milk fever is to
feed about two-thirds rations of fodder |
and half rations of whatever mess they |
have been eating for few days before
they come in, and for two or three days |
after calving feed sparingly with fodder;
give no mess at all for the first. day or
two after, except half dozen potatoes
or carrots, and take the chill off all her
drink for fOrty-eight hours after calving.
If the weather is hot keep her in the
shade in the heat of the day, and she
will not be likely to have any trouble.
But if you are caught with a case of
milk fever, don't try to physic her, but
empty the rectum and give an injection
of laudanum diluted with thin starch,
and keep giving the laudanum often
enough to keep her easy, and in four or
five days her bowels will move. When
you wish to leave her for the night, give
an extra amount of laudanum. AS she
begins to get better she will look
brighter, and drink little, and will not
need as much laudanum. By the Sec
ond or third day she will almost surely
need q catheter to empty her bladder.
If there is no catheter near, small
rubber tube will answer. Your family
physician can tell you how to use it if
necessary. A little weak saltpeter water
for a diuretic is useful. Cows six years
old and over are more likely to have
milk fever. The writer says that he has
never known case with COW less
than five years old. Good cows that
give much milk and are extra well fed
are the ones that have it. A great
many Jersey COWS have died in that way.
The directions here given we have
thought in the main were very good.
The direction as to feeding before and
after coming in is unquestionably sound.
The suggestion, too, as to the class of
COWS that are subject or liable to have
milk fever is worthy of attention. 1t is
the good COW that needs looking after
carefully in this matter. Perhaps it
would be useful to publish here what
Mr.. G. W. Farlee, noted breeder, of
Trenton, N. j., has to say upon the SUBJ
ject. He says: lit is the great bane of
breeding for great milk and butter Ca
pacity. have had some severe losses
with milk fever, and can discover no
other method of prevention than what
Colonel Waring called 'judicious starva-
ton for month or two before calving.
The calf is so far advanced in develop
ment that there is no danger ofinjury to
it. Such COW as Fadette it is simply
impossible to dry, and besides, l ques-
toned its propriety. In view of the
danger of milk fever it is often recon-
mended to dry a great mixer for at
least month before calving. | am in
clined to think this is not wise. The
disturbance to the system of making
the new milk when COW is entirely dry
is, believe, largely responsible for
milk fever. OF course the malady is no.
toriously aggravated by a plethoric con-
dition of the animal. My practice is to
reduce the flow by'short commons but
continue milking until the new milk
comes, which is readily recognized by
its watery condition. Then cease milk
ing. In three or four days have the
udder entirely emptied, care being taken
to extract from heudder every particle
of the ropy, curd-like substance which
accumulates in the udder. After like
interval of time the udder is again thor
oughly cleansed and the COW left to de-
velop the milk in due course of time.
have had good luck thus far in my
practice, but l confess the starvation
plan makes sorry looking cattle for a
time Western Rwal.