The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-06-19
EXERCISING COWS.
A Decided Improvement Noticeable
Along the Lin0a.

A Decided improvement Noticeable All
Along tho Limos.
There is a good deal of progress being
made among dairymen on the subject Of
exercise for cows that are in milk. Sen.
timent says give them beautiful pastures
in summer and warm sheds in winter to
stroll about in, and some people write
as though they thought it proper If the
cows refused to ''stroll" to get dog or
a club after them to keep them moving.
In early days this exercise" idea was
SO strong in the average dairyman that
he kept the cows out not only in sum-
mer but winter also, that they might
keep warm by hustling each other
around straw stacks, and must keep
moving most of the time in order to not
freeze to death.
While that practice is not altogether
obsolete in even the best and coolest
dairy districts, yet we do find decided
improvement on this subject in the
columns of the agricultural papers. Now
it is conceded by all respectable authori-
ties that cows can profitably be kept in
the stable most Of the time winter and
summer. We are climbing, however,
higher up the mount of knowledge until
we find herds being let out of the stable
shorter and shorter periods as the cour.
age of their owners find from practice
that not only does it do the cows no
injury to ccnfine them, but the more
they are kept in the stable the better
they seem to like it and the more milk
they give. This of course only goes
with herds that are kept clean. warm,
well-fed and watered, and are generally
we'll taken care of.
The Havemeyer herd of over two
hundred registered Jerseys in milk get
only from two to four hours out Of doors
in the twenty-four, an would probably
do better if they did not get that,
though an average OF nearly nineteen
pounds Of milk day the year round is
quite good enough. 1t must indicate,
being Jersey milk. nearly 1865 pounds OF
butter . year per head.
In a Wisconsin Farmers Institute
Bulletin, among the discussions we find
Mr.. Goodrich, q successful dairyman,
asked: GLOW much Importance do you
attach to exercise in dairy herd?" lie
answered: 1.-The calf and the heifer
ought to have exercise to develop their
muscles, but after the COW comes to Civ.
ing milk am we'll satisfied they need
but very little exercise. l tried that
year ago last winter. l had one COW
that had notion Of milking herself. ]
kept her in the stanchion. She would
be let out before the rest twice day:
she would walk about sixty feet to the
tank, and being alone, would walk right
back and put her head in the stanchion.
She wasn't out to exceed ten or fifteen
minutes day." Here is cow kept in
the stanchion all the time and would not
stay out when she could. Further on,
Mr.. Goodrich said that cow dropped
fine calf in the spring and was doing
we'll.
This is practical question for all
dairymen, and should be answered in
practical way. We arc yet to hear from
the man who has had any injury come tc
his cows from combining them to the
stable. 1t would be sad and narrowing
job to record the miseries that cows
suffer every winter from the advocates
of exercises. American Dairyman.