Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-02-10
Care of Cows in The Winter.
THE QUESTION OF WARM OR COLD WATER
HOW OFTEN SHOULD THEY DRINK
CONTINUOUS sTABLING.

In court of justice witness VIII,
admits he knows nothing about the cas-,
is not allowed to testify. l have neve
tried warming water for milch cows il
winter, and consequently my opinion j,
of no value. We do not hear so mucl
about it's benefits. in farm papers as We
did few years ago, and this woulC
seem to prove that the majority of farm
ers who have tried Ii have not found il
To be of much advantage.
John Gould says in 1.-The Practica
Farmer: The idea of warming was
perhaps, carried too far to one extreme
The practical experiments go to show
that when water can be had at 80 de
grees, a warm stable is more to be
desired, and profitable, than warm wa
ter" c. p. Goodrich, of Fort Atkinson
Wis, says: If had water at As degrees
or above the temperature of the earth
and cows would drink it at that temper
ature, would not be to the trouble OF
warming that water" Mr.. Goodrich
warns the water for his cows, or did SO
at the time he wsote.
Professor James w. Robertson, OF
Canada, says: There should be an
abundant supply of pure water easily
accessible by the cows during hot
weather. 1t should be furnished at a
comfortable temperature during the
winter" BY comfortable temperature,
he probably means warmer than ice
water. As nature does not furnish warm
water either from the clouds or the
earth, except in particular localities
where there are hot springs, it is reason
able to suppose that moderately cold
water is the proper beverage which the
Creator has supplied for animals, wheth-
er wild or domestic. Ii is true that in
some cases mankind can improve upon
nature. The wild cattle and horses are
improved by domestication in being sup
Piled regularly with an abundance of
proper food, and in cold weather with
warm stables, and by always breeding
from the best. 1t is the business of
mankind to assist nature, but it can only
be done in the way in which nature
desires to act. | do not believe our
cows like water any warmer than do
myself, and that is the temperature OF
spring or well water.
Our cows are watered only once day.
They are turned out into the yard at
noon, and if the weather is pleasant they
are left out two hours, during which
time the stables are cleaned and bedded,
the mangers cleaned out, and fodder put
in. Except in severe weather they are
in no hurry to come in when the door is
opened. In stormy weather, or when
the thermometer is down to zero, they
are let out no longer than is necessary
for them to get drink and they appear
anxious to get back as soon as possible.
| would not care TO have water In the
stable at the head of each COW, or water
warmer than our spring water. In order
TO ascertain whether watering once day
was sufficient, have tried our cows with
a pail of water at night, and they would
not touch it. do not think cows care
for water Oftener than once day.
Professor Cook, of Vermont, does not
find any difference in results, whether
his cows are watered once or twice
day, provided they get all they want
once a day. John Gould says that most
of his cows refuse TO drink more than
once day, and that their performance
at the milk pail is quite satisfactory.
When ensilage, pumpkins or roots are
regularly fed, there is no doubt that cows
do not need water oftener than once a
day, and will not drink much then. Our
cows, when fed literally with pumpkins
at the beginning of winter, will not touch
water at all
l.. p. Fisher, one of the most success
full dairymen of Vermont, who makes
over four hundred pounds of butter
annually from each COW, waters only
once a day, but he feeds ensilage. There
are successful dairymen who have water
in their stables, and keep their cows up
all winter without any exercise, and
without apparent harm to the cows, but
such confinement is unnatural, and II
continued year after year, would surely
injure the constitutions of the cows and
their calves.
A certain amount of exercise is necess-
ary to the health of every living thing,
except those animals like the groundhog,
which were created to hibernate, or lie
dormant as if dead, during the winter,
Cattle do not belong to that class OF ami
mails, and consequently need exercise rs
much as human beings.
L. B. Terry says: You can't keep
cows in stable all winter and have
calves with full vigor. You cannot keep
a sire stabbed the year around without
his losing some of his vitality. Some
exercise is necessary TO good health Tor
man or beast. Cor. Tribune Farmer.