The Globe-republican., 1898-11-10
Interesting to Dairymen
Breaking In Heifers.

O10Ak1nG In He1fofE
Some mode Of procedure to lessen
the jar to the sensibilities of heifers,
and beget a confidence in. the attend
lnts and surroundings, should be the
aim Of the dairyman, says the Agricul-
tural Gazette of Tasmania. For some
years we ran an all-the-year-round
dairy Of forty-five cows in and
iorty-five out (ninety cows in alb. with
I large percentage of heifers coming
In. The plan adopted was to breed up
from a dairy breed of bulls to improve
The milking power of the herd as
quickly as possible. The farm where
The milking was carried on did not adj
nit Of the calves being reared beyond
The milk period; they had to go to the
sut-run, and were never near home
ytead or traffic of any kind to Quieten
hem. and came in as springers, very
imid. The rule laid down was that
Ill heifers should be got in and join
The milking herd month before caly-
ing, standing about in the yard while
the milking was going on, and that
The mixers should take no notice OF
hem in any way, because attempts to
auieten them by word or movement,
however well meant, mostly resulted
In creating fear, the main thing to be
avoided. Amongst the appliances were
half q dozen broad leather neck straps
attached to a swivel and light chain
twenty feet long, which were strapped
on to the heifers after the first few
lays and left there till the breaking in
was completed. A months dragging
Of the chain to and from the pasture,
Ind the constant mixing with the milk
Ing herd, familiarized the heifers to
some degree of submission before calv-
Ing. After calving the chain was
quietly hitched to the nearest post in
tae fence to where the animal hap
pened to be standing, and she was
slowly encouraged to come short up on
the chain, when it was fastened and
the milking gone on with. After
few da-s, simply putting a firm foot
on the chain by the milkman would
delude the heifer, when she would
make no resistance, and thus gradually
become familiar with and attached to
her mixer without at any time having
had her nervous sensibilities Jared or
fear engendered. Heifers thus coming
up with the herd twice a day to be
MIXED can be watched, and the calf
removed as soon as born, when by
little strategy and patience the ma
ternal instinct in many cases can be
coaxed into a transference to the at
tendant. and thus the breaking in comes
as a natural thing and the flow of milk
made full and free from the first, and
thereby fulfilling the desirable habit
of giving, which generally lasts
through life with judicious treatment.
This method of breaking IN heifers
compels milkmen to be gentle, other
wise it could not be carried out Any
loud, rough attitude would create fear,
and make the claiming to a post
scene of rebellion and milking a thing
Make it the rule, and the
rule must work its own reward. We
have seen q few instances, but not
many, where it failed, and the bail and
leg rope had to be resorted to. An
other plan. and the one We now in a
smaller herd adopt, is pan the square
Of . panel Of fences, where tho heifer
il secured and is within reach Of the
hands as she moves round.
BY patiently waiting and leaving of all
for a time when any fear or
excitement is manifest she will always
become submissive in shorter time
than those who have tried It would
expect. The bail and leg-rope system
leaves the heller helpless in the milk
mans hands. He gets his muscle up
when forcing her into the bail, and
often his temper as well, butts his head
into her flank, and lays hold Of two
teats with muscular grasp, shocks
the whole nervous system Of the poor
brute, and wonders why she does not
Gil the pail from such a well-set, full
looking udder, and votes the well-bred
animal no good. Heifers, drst cali,
should come in late in the season on
the "top" of the grass to force q full
flow of milk; always full ration OF
some handled feed should be allowed
Il they come In out Of season; the habit
Of large giving should be cultivated
from the first by kindness and feed
Ing, when it comes easy and natural
all through life.