River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-11-10
MANAGEMENT OF COWS.
Special Care Which Should Be Exer-
cised During the Fall and
Winter Months.

During the autumn and early winter.
when there is much rain, it is not al
ways possible to prevent the cows from
wading through mud puddles, but it is
a pity to turn the poor things into
yards in which the manure and mud
are almost knee-d deep. One of our
neighbors, a thrifty German, fences of
a lot, early in the fall, at the straw
stack for his COWS, and in the fall
feeds fodder on the ground. The COWS
eat the leaves and relish them, and
there is a layer of stalks over the en-
tire lot before winter. With the straw
and other litter he manages to have a
dry place for the COWS except in the
worst weather, and then his yards are
dry long before others who allow cows
to stay in the barnyard and around the
water trough.
For the sake of cleanliness, which is
an important factor in the dairy and
milk business, stables and yards should
be kept in a sanitary condition. Clean
illness in dairy work should begin in
the stables and yards Where the COWS
live during the fall and winter months.
We do not believe in close stabling for
days at a time during the winter, and
in carrying feed and water to the COWS.
With this method it is almost out of
the question to keep them clean with
out special attention that the farmer
can seldom give and at the same time
look after other stock, says Prairie
Farmer And besides a total lack OF
exercise is not good for the cows. The
farmer who succeeds best with all
kinds of stock knows the Importance
of a reasonable amount of exercise.
None are benefited more by it than
the cows that are due to calve in the
spring.
At this season the farmer gets a
good deal of advice about whitewash-
ing and cleaning up the poultry house.
Why wouldn't it be good idea to give
the COW stable a coat of Whitewash?
With a spray pump the work can be
easily and quickly done. There is no
better method Of getting rid of dis
ease germs that may have been intro
duced. Put plenty OF coal oil in the
lime wash if the chickens have been
roosting in the COW stable, as the per-
verse fowls have habit of doing on
many farms. A coat of whitewash ON
the inside of the COW stable has a good
moral effect. With a clean wall the
owner will be more careful in keeping
the floor clean, and a clean stable, free
from foul smells, will extend to other
work in handling milk.
Good ensilage is fine feed, but poor
ensilage and any feed that is musty
had better not be fed. Without good,
healthy food a large flow of healthy
milk, rich in butter fat, cannot be ex-
pected. Many farmers scrupulously
guard the food supply, but are very
careless about the kind of water the
cattle drink. The COWS often drink
water the farmer would consider unfit
to wash milk pals or cans in. The
man who is particular about these
things may be called cranky by some
of his neighbors, and be laughed at
by others. He will come out all right
in the end, however, and make the
several ends of his business meet,
when others who put less energy and
intelligence into their work will fail,
The farmers wife cannot make good
butter unless the farmer does his part
of the work well.