The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-21
Ought Cows TO be Fed While
Being Milked2


A French agricultural writer raises
this question, and decides In the mega
tive, giving the following reasons:
"The secretion of milk lie peculiarly
under the control of the COW. If a
dairy hand falls sick the supply of milk
from the COWS will often diminish be-
cause the animal can retain or part
with it's milk, and not yield it to a stran-
ger. II eating when being MIXED the
COWS are never 80 Tranquil as If their
racks or troughs are empty. Their al
tention will be given to eating, rather
than to the giving down of their milk.
The general opinion is that during
pregnancy, the COW ought to be left to
complete state of repose, and fed only
after being MIXED"
Here is something worth thinking
about. 1t is true that the quantity of
milk is TO great extent under the con-
troll of the COW. There is reason to be-
lleve that even within limits the per-
centage of butter fat is under the same
control, and hence it is very impor-
tant question how to persuade the COW
10 give down the quantity of milk, and
of the richest possible to her. We say
"persuade" for there is no way possible
OF forcing her. The point is to concen-
trate her attention on the one all-impor-
tant matter of giving full flow, with
the full percentage Of butter fat. The
above we believe to be correct state
ment of the known facts in the case,
but there is room for q wide difference
of opinion between men and men and
cows and cows as to the best method of
percussion. 1t is agreed that there is
no persuasion in the boot heel or the
milk stool applied on the back, nor is
there any benefit in using cuss words,
although we have heard it said that
whistling and the Emery heart that
doeth good like a medicine" are potent
with the cow while milking is going on.
Having forgotten how to whistle, we
don't know how that is. The point to
be decided is will the COW give her
mind to the business of giving down
when she has fine mess of feed before
her, or is the attitude of impatient
waiting and expe Clancy the best per-
suader? We can see at once that If the
cow is expecting feed and does not get
it, she is not likely to keep her mind on
the subject of giving down. If, how
II
an elegant feed as soon as milking is
over we would expect her to give due
attention and give down rs fast as pos
sible. The main thing, it seems to u.s.
is how to get the cows undivided atten-
ton to the supreme work of the mo.
ment, that of giving down rich milk
and lots of it.
Have our readers ever tested the diff.
ferent methods in general way, and
if 80, what have been the results? Ii
it really matter of mtr, importance
than it appears to be at / rst sight. We
think it quite true that with the advent
Of the new mixer cows may begin to
fail in their milk, both in quantity and in
richness. We are quit sure there are
some men who would put the cows dry
by their bad methods of milking. We
can readily see how bad-tempereC
man or profane man might decrease
the yield twenty five or thirty per cent
The mixer must be zen rapport" tina
is, in full sympathy with the COW, i
she is to do her best at her pail. Nov
can that sympathy, that cC-ope ration
that combination of efforts for the &C
complishment of definite purpose b,
best secured by allowing her to ca
while being MIXED or not? That i
the question on which we would like t,
have the experience and observation O
our readers allace's Farmer.