The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-08-20
TRAINING HElFERS.
How to Familiarize the Young Cow Wit
Her Future Duty.

How to Familiarize the Young Cow With
Her Future Duty.
The most profitable COW is the one
that gives the most product with the
least trouble. A vicious COW is not
worth keeping. One that sucks herself
or other cows, that kicks the pail over,
holds up her milk, and is possessed of
an intractable or evil disposition is not
worth having as gift. But such vices
are learned by cow through the fault
of her breeder and trainer. and the bad
teaching is generally finished up before
the animal is two years old. What is
thus learned is never forgotten AMI the
cows usefulness is spoiled forever af-
forwards. When calf is weaned, its
first lesson of subsection to her owner
has been learned, and this should be
followed by systematic course of
training which, in well-managed
dairy, comes by note and rule as a mat
ter of course. The whole plan of the
work should be such as this: No spe-
cial handling, or, as it is termed, break
ing, will then ever be required, but
the animal comes in. and stays in do
cile, gentle. trained animal, which
understands and knows her business as
well as the owner knows his Many
persons have seen the trained steers at
fairs mostly in New England, where
trained cattle are quite common, young
ones under q year old as well as older
ones; in fact the older ones are only the
full-grown early trained animals These
will move in any direction they are
told; words even are not required, the
mere guiding motion of a rod is sufficient
to cause them to turn this way or that,
to lift one or the other foot. to kneel,
to lie down, and march in order. II a
steer can do this, why may not a COW
be trained to stand still, lift leg, to
permit herself to be handled, to do, in
| hort, what she is told, even to keep her
! all still and not switch the mixers
! ears and eyes and to avoid all forbidden
things, There is no reason and no diff
Guilty. 1t comes by growth as plant
grows, slowly but surely under syste-
matte management.
| The calf always under control in a
pen or confined by a strap and halter,
/ or used TO these, can be made to under
stand what is desired in short time il
the right means are taken. First, the
! young things confidence is gained
by gentle and kind treatment; it is
led rather than forced to go in the
way it should by the impossibility of
doing otherwise as far as possible. This
is the use and purpose Of keeping a
young animal confined, which is indis-
pensable for its training and education.
In time and by degrees the heifer be-
comes submissive to the owners will.
| 1t can not be done at once without vio-
lence, which generally fails in reaching
the results required, and always meets
with opposition. Force is not what is
wanted to make an animal docile and
useful So that time is necessary and
consequently the training must be slow
and gradual, with care tc curb natural
propensities and accustom the animal
to all the necessary discipline Of the
COW stable.
The young heifer should be accus-
toned to be tied in the stall, to be
brushed and handled, taught to move
her feet when touched; the udder should
be rubbed and the teats pulled gently
as if in the act of milking. The last
mentioned is important, as it not only
familiarizes the heifer with her future
duty, but it develops the structure OF
the udder and if done to a sufficient ex'
tent will excite the glands to secrete
milk even before she becomes in calf.
When heifer becomes a COW she
should be kept in milk at least six te
nine months before she is bred again
This conduces to long continuous milk
ing, and she should be fed well and
MIXED as long as possible up to two
months before the second calf is due
when she should be dried off and fec
lightly to escape any i'll effect from
over stimulation of the udder, until pas
all danger OF, milk fever or garget
which will be in from three to sever
days. Then the full feeding may begin
gradually increasing the rations up t.
the highest point that is found protita
ble.--Practical Farmer
-Jagway-"Yes, sir; friend of mine
who lives up in Michigan, gave me tina
ring and am proud of it." Dashawa,
You know what Michigan is cele
brated for, don't you?" Jagway-''No
What?' Dashaway-''For its cope
vx,;,,e and E,rn;Shar