Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-02-07
OLD COWS.


What to do with the old cows, says q
writer in the american Dairynsan, is q
question which the majority of farmers
and dairymea are often obliged to con-
slider. The minority are saved this
trouble for they never have old COWS.
Many of them only keep a cow two or
three years, feed her as much grain as she
will bear, and when she shows the slight
| est indications of falling off in her milk
| production they either sell her or else get
her ready for the butcher. Under their
treatment 1 cow has no opportunity to
grow old. She is crowded so hard that
the period of her highest usefulness is
passed long before she has become adj
vanced in years.
If she is properly cared for and judi
ciously fed really good COW may be
kept 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 SC much by
the time they are ten or twelve years old
that it becomes a question whether it will
pay to keep them.
| believe that if COW is really good
and is hearty and vigorous it will pay to
keep her until she is pretty old. It is
true than an old COW needs a little bet
ter care than good many young COWS
receive, and that it will cost more to feed
her than it would to keep younger COW
of the same size. But if the COW is sold
and younger one is bought to take her
place it is not at all certain that as good
a one will be obtained. The old proverb
assures that "a bird in the hand is worth
two in the bush" and many farmer has
found that good COW that was growing
old was great deal better than poor one
that was still young. And some farmers who
have had a good deal of experience both in
buying and in raising stock appreciate more
fully than they used to do the difficulties
of securing first class COWS. When they
have a cow that they know to be good
they do not feel disposed to 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 will not take on
flesh readily, and the butchers will pay
but little for them after they are fattened.
When the cost of feeding is deducted
from the price received from the butcher,
it leaves but very little to represent the
value of the COW before the fattening
process was commenced.
There is such thing as keeping COW
too long, but as far as my observation
goes it is seldom practiced. A good
many farmers do not get as good returns
from their old COWS as they should, but
this is not the fault of the COWS; it is be-
cause the owners do not feed them lib
orally enough and care for them properly.
This is altogether different matter from
mourning a loss by keeping the 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 l do not believe in turn
ing eff good COW merely because she is
growing old. I believe it will pay we'll
to keep her as long as she is in good
health and her milking qualities are not
seriously impaired.