Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-03-09
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"spExp raH PLow."

Correspondence on practical agricultural topics
IL solicited. Address all communication In
tended for this department 10 HENRl ID. HAN
noSp. Agricultural Editor Oxford Democrat
Paris. Ne.
GROWING AND HANDLING heiFeRS
Ever, dairyman has occasion to re-
place animals in his herd that have be-
come Improbable by reason OF age or
other conditions with fresh stock, and
large proportion Of the dairy men OF New
England can raise heifers to take the
place Of such animals with greater econ
omy than they can buy them, and when
such course Is prac,iced there should
be great care exercised In the rearing
and handling OF the, h, Tiers. Upon the
course taken with them depends largely
their value as dairy animals. Ii Is the
purpose of the dsiryman to bring up an
animal that will consume large guam
tity of food, aud at the same time yield
for the owner the largest possible guam
titv of milk for the food consumed.
The ability TO consume and utilize a
certain class OF food Is TO some extent
the result OF education and habit. The
class Of food adapted to the production
of milk Is not class Of food best adapted
TO the production Of milk for the former
is composed largely Of protein and the
latter largely OF fat. The class best
adapted TO the production of milk is also
adapted TO the production OF bone and
muscle. Mr.. c. L. Goodrich in the
Prairie Farmer says:
"lt Is important that the heifer design
ed for the dairy should be fed so as to
make rapid growth and development,
bet never be made fat or allowed TO
form the beef habit. That would de-
tract from her value as n dairy snimal
every time. for when she comes To be a
COW, aud YOU try to push her by high
feeding aud make her produce large
amount of (sud therefore cheap dairy
products. she will refuse 10 respond at
the pail 70 the full amount OF her feed,
but will pile some Of IL on her back 10
the shape Of beef. This no dairyman
can afford. When he feeds his COW high
he wants her to manufacture all OF her
feed. except what she needs for her own
support, into milk. So | say guard
against heifers getting fat. Begin when
they are young by feeding skim milk,
and little oil meal. Then feed wheat
bran, oats and clover hay and such
muscle-formlng foods, but do not feed to
any great extent such fattening foods ss
timothy hay and corn. The heifer, IL
properly fed, by the time she Is two
years old will have made q good growth
and be well developed.
''She should be bred so as 10 come in
at that age because she will make bet
ter COW IL she commences the business
OF her life, which Is giving milk, at an
early age. 10 she should go over an
other wear without coming In, and have
a good pasture, the chances are she
would get fat and the beef habit thus
formed would surely detract from her
value a. dairy COW. The heifer, from
calfhood up, should always be treated
in the kiniest and gentlest manner.
when she drops her calf Is the time
when the utmost care and skill are re
COW she Is capable of being. First, she
should be given half pail OF warm
water, and II she is thirsty give her an
other half pailful in an hour, and so on
until her thirst Is quenched. She Is 10
feyerish condition, and should be fed but
little grain or concentrated food for the
the first week. All the good nutritious
hav or fodder she will eat, with little
wheat bran, Is sufficient. After the
first week the grain ration can be gradu-
ally increased, till in three weeks after
calying she can be on full feed, and IN
four weeks should be up to her maximum
fiow OF milk.
To get the heifer with her first calf 10
give down her milk for the human milker
is frequently task requiring the utmost
skill, and on the degree Of success with
which il IL attended depends, 10 great
measure, the future usefulness OF the
COW. A good way 10 do Is TO have a pen,
into which the calf is put, where the
mother can reach and lick it, but so ar
ranged that the calf cannot suck. When
the time comes you wish to milk, you
take the calf from its pen. aud when II
begins 20 suck you begin 10 milk with ".
DO this every time, never letting the
calf suck unless YOU are there 10 mix
with IL, until the heifer has been taught
this important lesson. Milk IL product
which nature enables the mother 10 pro-
vide for the sustensnce OF her offspring.
Maternal affection goes along with this
act Of giving milk, and to be good
milker one must have some hold on the
affections OF the cow. IL the COW hates
the mllker she will never do well for
him. All cows are not so particulsr-so
finely organized. With many IL does not
seem 10 matter much who or what milks
them, but many of the heifers that have
the making Of the grandest COWS in the
country need just such skillful manage
men, as | have described or they will be
ruined"