The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-07

THE DAIRY.
Shelter For the Cows,

Good COWS are the foundation of the
dairy, whether a speciality or only an
auxiliary. Proper feed is essential. and
comfortable quarters are not to be I'M
der-estimated. The best of cows will
sometimes fail to give paying returns
| because they are not given protection
| from the seventies of the weather. The
feed supplied may not find its way to
the milking pals if the animals re-
quire all they obtain to maintain the
] animal heat. II is cheaper to provide
some kind of shelter than to lose the
value of the food the animals consume.
True, one may not feel disposed TO
build a large and attractive barn in
which to shelter his cows if he, does
not have the means at hand with which
to build it, for debt is burdensome in
prosperous times. and tenfold more so
in times of business depression, but he
may build a cheap stable of boards, or
even one of straw and poles, that may
be made fairly comfortable even in
the worst weather. ar
l visited a farmer some months ago
who found it profitable to keep few
cows, from which the surplus butter
was sold in a neighboring town. He
had earned and saved enough TO buy
a small farm but as yet was unable
to save any money for improvements.
The small log stable was scarcely large
enough to accommodate his two horses.
But with a few poles he constructed
the frame of Il shed adjoining the
stable. With cheap boards from q
nearby sawmill he boarded the frame
inside and outside. and packed the in
tervening space with straw. This made
quite comfortable quarters for six
cows, and the actual money cost was
very small.
If possible, of course, a good substan-
tial stable or barn should be erected,
but l have known many costly barns
10 contain less comfortable quarters
for the milk cows than this cheap
makeshift Just described. But there
are yet many farmers who DO not think
it worth while to provide any shelter
at all for the milk cows. 1t makes
them harder to be out in the open air,
where they can have plenty of exer-
else, is the reason assigned. Possibly
this may be true, but it is poor economy
in a cold climate.
It should be remembered, however,
that cows are not comfortable in foul
and hlthy stable. l have seen cows
standing in filth several inches deep, /
and the air so foul as to be almost suf- /
locating. The mixers were compelled I
to wear rubber boots to enable them (
to safely wade about among the COWS. /
The butter was engaged to city GUS |
toners at go cents a pound. but had |
they seen the methods employed, it is /
if they would have been will /
ing to engage the butter at cents.
The stables should either be arranged /
with cutters, or manure trenches, of
sufficient deDth to prevent the cows
with their feet in the cutters,
and these cutters should be cleaned
twice or three times each day; or what
we believe TO be better. there should
be . large and comfortable manure
she'd or covered barnyard in which the
lows may be turned after being MIXED.
This will insure a understanding
stable which will not befoul the milk,
and also insure clean cows, which is
ilso an essential point.
Most farmers are familiar with the
covered BARNARD Of Mr.. T. B. Terry,
which was fully described in many of
he agricultural papers few years ago.
This was a shed adjoining the barn,
md was 90 by 20 feet in dimensions,
covered. but not inclosed. Our farmers
lere- are improving upon Mr. Terry's
Ian by inclosing them upon all sides,
lighting them with windows, and pro-
-iding large straw lofts above, where
IL the straw is stored, and thus kept
n the best possible condition.
No one who has once experienced the
luxury of these covered barnyards
would willingly forego the advantages
hey afford They will pay for them
elves in a short time in the saving of
eed, the better quality of the manure,
he better returns from the COWS. and
he satisfaction afforded the farmer in
moving that his, cows are in comfort
hle quarters, no matter how severe the
Teather may be out of doors.-John L.
hawver in Farm and Fireside.