The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-01-30
OLD DAIRY COWS.
Very Often They Are More Profitable
Than Younger Animals.

Very Often They Arc More Profitable
Thsn Younger Animals.
What to do with the old COW IL . ques.
ton which the majority Of farmers and
dairymen are often obliged to consider,
The minority arc saved this trouble fol
they never have old cows. Many Of
them only keep COW two or three years
feed her Is much grain - she will bear,
and when she shows the slightest In.
dications Of falling on in her milk pro.
duction they either sell hor or else get
her ready for the butcher. Under their
treatment COW has no opportunity ia
grow old. She Is crowded 50 hard that
the period Of her highest usefulness il
passed before she has become advanced
In years.
II she is properly cared for and Judi.
ciously fed . really good cow may b
kept many. many years with profit to
her owner. Cows have been kept until
they were eighteen or twenty years old
and been quite productive to the close
Of this period. But there are not many
cases Of this kind. Most cows fail 81
much By the time they are ten or twelve
years old that it becomes . question
whether 1t will pay to keep them.
believe that II . COW Is really good
and 10 hearty and vigorous it will pay t.
keep her until she is pretty old. It il
true that IN old cow needs little better
care than good many young cows re.
ceive, and that it will cost moro to feed
her than 1t would to keep younger COW
OF the same size. But il the old COW /.
sold and . younger one ID bought to take
her place it is mot oil certain that q
good : one will b obtained. The old
proverb assures MS that - bird in thu
hand 10 worth two in the bush," and
many farmer has found that . good
COW that was growing old was great
deal better than . poor cow that was still
yeua1. And some farmers who have
had . rood deal of experience both in
buying and In raising stock appreciate
moro fully than they used to do tbs
dificulties Of securing Arst class cows.
When they have cow that they know
70 be good they do not feel disposed r
part with her for any trivial cause.
Another reason for not selling the old
COWS too soon is found in the fact they
will command only : low price. They
make poor beef; they do not take on
flesh readily, and the butchers will pay
but little for them after they are fat
tened. When the cost Of feeding Is de.
Quoted from the price received from the
butcher. 1t leaves but very little to rep.
resent the value Of the cow before the
fattening process was commenced.
There 10 such thing - keeping COW
too long, but % far . my observation
goes it Is seldom practiced. A good
many farmers do not get ~ good returnl
from their old cows . they should, but
this 10 not the fault Of the cows; 1t II
because the owners do not feed them
literally enough and care for them prop
erly. This Is m altogether different
matter from mourning . loss by keeping
tho cows after they have gone beyond
the point Of possible profit.
believe In raising the heifer calves
OF the best mixers and thus having
COWS coming along to take the places Of
those which for any reason are removed
from the herd. But do not believe in
turning OF good COW merely because
she is growing old. believe 1t will pay
we'll to keep her Is long as she Is in good
health and her milking qualities arc not
seriously impaired. Elliot, in American
Dairvman