The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-25
Watering Cows.

QueStlOnS IN watering. we are uo 1883
puzzled in this field of inquiry than in
the other. Conclusive answers to the
recurring questions of times Of water
ing and quantity and temperature OF
water have not been given. The mind
accepts as conclusive the assertion that
cows should receive water whenever
they crave for it. Certainly no harm
could come of this natural liberty, un.
less the presence of water leads to
mere idle or capricious taking of it
when no real demand exists. Man, the
reasoning animal, abuses his freedom
in regard to foods and drink and it is
not impossible that the lower animals
may. Our ignorance is almost complete
on this subject.
Professor Henry, in his new and val
liable work on "Feeds and Feeding"
relates one trial that favored free access
to water as against watering twice
day. While this surely accords with
reason, it is not conclusive. Not hav-
ing as yet put in modern water supply
systems, have for two years or more
in much anxiety on the question, car
ried water twice or thrice to cows
daily as against one watering, and have
turned cows out to water twice as
against others watered once, and have
offered COWS, that go to the water sup
ply once day, water nights and morn
ings. My cows accustomed to drink
once day will, only a few of them,
and these little and with~indifference,
drink either at night or even the next
morning. Nor have l received any APP
preciable increase of milk by my eff
forts in these directions. l cannot en-
dorse one watering as sufficient or best
even though the COW carries in her large
stomach supply of water, although l
have not proof of its error.
If it is true that free and fresh pure
water at all times is water that will be
drunk in excess, then the cow has too
much water to warm TO blood heat. In
some trials years ago in New Hamp-
shire, it appeared that excess water was
in part vaporized. Now, as it requires
several times as much heat to vaporize
water as it does TO warm it up to blood
heat, may it not be the case that posi-
bility of excessive drinking is to be
guarded against?
l confess full ignorance and only
raise the query in hope that someone
has information on the subject, as l am
intending to give my cows the best at
command.
The same problem of overwhelming
and taxation of food to warm and va.
porize the water is involved in warm
ing water for COWS, and in over-salting,
thereby causing over-drinking. Trials
at Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and
other stations leave the question of
ofar ,v,o ritz i'm
ic position. On the whole, a gain from
warming water is shown, but not a
profitable one on the average. 1t has
been made evident that warming water
is to be pursued with caution and un-
der specific limitations. 1t is probable
that those farmers in the north, who
water COWS in the open air in water
that is at a very low temperature, will
find advantage in tempering water to a
moderate degree.
The advantage of such practice is
likely to be confined to days of the
colder class, when the body is decided
ly chilled. On such days, the water in
full quantities 30 chills the system as
to become a shock to it. The conse-
quence is, that, to avoid this, too little
is taken. Few are aware that the guam
tity of water drank is measure OF the
| food eaten. Such is the case, or was
in some personal trials made at the
New Hampshire college where the
water was given in insufficient quanti-
ties. 1t does not follow that excessive
drinking leads to excessive eating.
| Whatever limits the water drank with
in normal requirements, limits the food
that will be eaten. A limitation Of the
food eaten all falls on excess food TAX
cheap little heaters seen in the troughs
in northern sections, that can be used
as needed on very cold days, are in all
probability of economic value. But it
is evident that the method would need
to be in skilful hands, for random use
would disturb the tastes and caprices
of the COWS. The custom involves
many nice little considerations into
which l will no longer delve, further
than to observe that cows in warm
barn would, in all probability, take to
advantage water at lower temperature
than those in cold barns, and that warm
ing water cannot be pursued with the
hope of success, but for short period
of the year.
AS we ramble along the unsettled and
nicely balanced problems of 30 simple
a thing as watering cows, but very
lightly touched upon, and consider that
it is but one of the simpler problems of
the multitude we have to deal with in
farming, we catch a glimpse of the COM
plexity and profundity of our industry.
No field of effort calls for as nicely bal
anced judgments, which is equivalent
to saying, for 30 high an order of genius.
l am aware that this question of wa
tering cows is left in an unsatisfactory
position, due as insist, to lack of sat
isfactory data, yet it is well to pause at
periods and survey the ground and as
certain at what point of vantage gener-
al inquiry has carried US, and just what
pretensions to build knowledge on i'm
portant problems of farming are found
ed upon.
/ may, possibly, be justly chargeable
with an inclination to take radical
grounds, yet in this, as in many other
cases, hold it better to abide by simple
methods until complex or more costly
| ones are shown 10 he iustifiahle