Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-01-10
How to Secure a Good Cow.

tion of dairy cows requires more skill
patience and perseverance than any
other object dairyman may have excep,
that of keeping them so after they are
gathered.
Two methods are open, both having
Objectionable features. One is to buy
them. And because We cannot tell with
any certainty by the looks of the COW ol
the color of the cream what she is, this
method is full of disappointments and il
often failure.
| Few dairymep will sell their best cows,
/ if they know which they are, and only q
few are expert enough to select them
II we test them with scales and Bah
cock test it takes time; and If the test is
favorable the owner puts the price out
of sight.
The other method is to rear them
| And the objections are lack of suitable
food where the milk is sent to the fac.
tory, and the waiting for them to grow.
| The possibilities of success are greatly
in favor of rearing them. The dam
should be selected with a view of OBJ
tanning a vigorous, healthy mother, OF
great producing power. Such cows are
apt to be a little coarse and bOny, not tax
ing on fat easily. The sire should bs q
clean, smooth animal of tested stock
and used merely to produce life and
good shape in the offspring, depending
On the dam for the productive power
know of four generations, descendants
from one COW, that have records Oi
seventy-five pounds of milk per day
Both parents should be mature, and fol
the best results the dam should be dry
for three months before calving.
The calf should be perfect in form,
teats well placed, and teeth matured
1t should be taught to drink at its first
meal, and should not be given too much
of the dams milk. Owing to our arti'
fetal methods, the milk is liable to be
too rich and produce fever. The milk
from COW longer inmilk will be better
| New milk should be fed for two or three
weeks.
The stomachs of young animals are
very susceptible to change in the food
and the organs of the stomach should be
strengthened by natural food until iu
good working order. Should the
stomach be disarranged by too much, or
too cold milk, or poisoned by food which
is soured or full of germs, the securing
which results will weaken and render
the animal unfit for high feeding fol
great records when older. In after
years the bad effects of that attack will
be apparent. One mistake may ruin
the calf's future.
The milk should be always accurately
measured, and also tested with ther-
mometer, being careful that it does not
rary. The pail should always be rinsed
out, and washed often enough to keeI
the utensil perfectly sweet.
A calf with dry bed, and food that IL
wholesome and regulated as to quantity
and temperature, will thrive on almost
any kind of treatment. The feeding of
sweet skim-milk, after twelve to fifteen
days, is better than sweet whole milk.
The future great producing COW must
not be taught, while calf, to convert
it's food into fat, but into meat and mus.
Gle. Habits once fixed are hard to
break, and erroneous habits should not
be formed. A fat veal calf would not
make good milking COW. Feed for all
the growth possible, and as little fat
The future greatness Of the dairy COW
depends ON the first years care fully a.
| much as on its pedigree.
Feed wheat middlings and hay, 80 that
| the calf will be eating some Of each. dry
from the manger, at three weeks of age,
Bulky feed will distend the stomach and
give capacity. No pinched up, narrow
contracted dairy COW can consume food
enough to supply the daily waste Of The
body, and produce q large quantity Of
milk at the same time.
| At six months the calf should loOl
like miniature COW, and not like a race
horse. Breed at nine months, and feet
literally of protein foods. The mill
producing organs will come into use
and be stimulated by the birth of cal
at the time of approaching maturity
The demand on the system to produc'
milk will prevent liberal feeding frou
fattening the animal, and fix habit o
converting food into the right product
without stopping growth.
i Milk the heifer as long as her dispo
sition and scientific feeding will keel
her going. Ability to hang on is pro
duced by teaching and feeding. Do no
neglect, however, to keep her growing
} She should gain in good hard flesh al
the time until fully matured. The rear
|, ing of heifer calf SO that it shall be
record breaker requires more skill tha
to run a railroad, moro patience tha
Job had, and the personal attention o
an interested and practical owner.
II ltis the man behind the stock tina
, secures their success.-C. e. Chapma
} in Maine Bulletin.