Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-03-13
Continuous Winter StabIing.


winter stabling of dairy COWS. He
was never situated so as to keep the
cows inside all winter. but is satisfied
that is the better method John
Gould, the veteran dairy authority,
says a COW will get all the exercise
she needs from Thanksgiving to Eas-
ter by chewing her cud. The Plough
man hesitates to indorse this, but
thinks COWS get too much exercise,
when they are let out to drink icy
water at a trough and are obliged to
stand shivering like a feverand-ague
patient, for half an hour. They eX-
ercised away the milk that our Gus
toners needed" The article con-
tinues: But we read of and have
seen some herds that are not let out
all during the winter, having the
water at the stalls, either to drink
when they so desired or turned on for
them at stated intervals. We like the
last plan best, as the water does not
get stale or filled with dust from the
rough fodder Experiments have
been made which showed no gain in
constantly on hand.
Some of those herds have not only
kept the same COWS thus tied up year
after year in the winter and have
kept them healthy and in good condi-
| ton, but have raised strong, vigorous
calves from them, and may be now
having the fourth or fifth generation
Il
up, and have had no more and per
haps rather less disease among them
than those herds that have been given
fresh air and exercise out Of doors
every day. Those who have had to
De with thai dread disease, tIbercu-
EOsis, have not reported that they
found it more prevalent or more
severe among the herds that have
been kept continually stabbed than
among those that were Out every day
and in some test cases suspected
animals have recovered to all appear
ance when for isolation from the rest
of the herd they were placed in q
separate warm stable and kept In
doors all winter.
These herds were not given wide
box stalls in which to exercise, bat
confined by stanchions or chains,
and got little more exercise than was
possible by side stepping, lying Down
and getting up. The owners OF such
herds feel it necessary to econ0mize
on stable room almost as much as
the poorer farmers with small barns,
though they may give a little more
space behind and Between Gl1e ami
mails than was allowed in the ola
fashioned barns.
We believe in fresh air for man 10r
beast. but it is as easy to le3J the cir
in where they are as to 60 out sind
seek for it, and ii is much easier to
regulate the Quantity and its 'tempera
ture inside than outside, A north
east gale has more fresh ar than we
feel to need some days, and those are
the days when 1T seems mGre import
ant to keep the fresh air CIT than to
let 1T in. Bit simple and not ex
pensive Vent1ating arrangements nosr
enable che TO admit fresh air ar
carry away foul air and doors without
greatly chan ging the temperature COR
letting any cold drafts enter diTe&3 iy
upon the animals as they stand or lie
down, the latter being most 'Tlecesss Ty
to avoid, as it is then tine animal
temperature is the lowest
The dairy cow or one oof the ta Try
type. bred to have thin SKIN and fed
ITO haveaa light coat of fine. soft FTair
is as sensitive to cold 'n8tufailykyS Ia
| healthy child that has been 2accus-
lrtomed to be we'll ClsaG 9and Well s&hel-
| tered aand while she ne23y HAVE vi,
l'tality enough to thrCm' nGff its GfTects
without serious injulg, lit 'tfFtS and
does reduce her capacity for pSOducs
| tion"Of both milk anE 3fafter fa1 an6
/ t@alSO creates the necessity for more
| food to keep up the neutral 'fsea at OF
me. system. To use the conc eEt*ateG
| heating foods to warm ;the animal
While the winds OF winter are az owed
! 20 chill her, is burning UP corn 81 fueI
| in. anmore wastefut WAY I'll an the Kan
| sas Farmers did Wfen; they piA NJ III
| theirs stoves as 'ess ''" 'h"I
coal
,,,asa-srIs there iisaa aam nlna ium
J~etWeen an enforced exposure each
day to the omtae3e ttefMtsq EatHhe IN
winter, and an enforced confinement
for six months. ap:.d we, used to- ID ink
that If We had q stable with the
modern improvements thai allowed
us to feed and water in t3se STABLES
each time. and care for the animals
at comfortable temperature gOr than
and ourselves. we U;quld still ;leL tbs m
out when the sun snpne brightly faNd
the air outside was above the freaI-
ing pCint, or even if & little below III
If theFe,was not WIND to make it fer
too severely. But We have noticed
THAI those who tried that plan soon
made their days outside less frequent
and shorter. They did not fine the
cows taking the exercise they we're
thought Ie0 need. They would lie
down in the san, but as ofGen umon
cold, damp gReund as elsewhere, and
there were cases of colds, garget. |
milk fever or abortion as a result Ii !
Is not until the genial spring days. !
when the grass begins to start, that !
the cattle manifest much desire to
take exercise, or even that the zheep |
and lambs begin to gambol and play. |
Before that time tnsy march out as
quietly as If going to days labor, |
and though they may travel steadily
all day it is not with the air OF |
eY,in