The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-11-23
Care of Cow at Freshening Time.

The most critical time for the COW
is when she freshens. So that she
will be in the best condition at this
time it is absolutely necessary that
she shall have from six to eight weeks
rest between her last lactation and
the time of freshening. This rest
gives nature time to recuperate; it
gives the fOetus a chance to develop
and the calf will be much stronger
and healthier than it would be should
the COW be continually MIXED. Some
COWS do not care to 60 dry any length
of time to say nothing about six or
eight weeks. We have had some very
persistent mixers, and still have
some, but when the time comes for
them to go dry we simply put them in
the barn and feed them nothing but
hay and stop milking them dry. Only
milk once a day for while, and as
soon as possible stop altogether
keeping watch of the udder to see that
it does not become infamed and u.s.
ually there will be no trouble.
Having COWS freshen in September
and October, the period of lactation
should cease in July and August.
This is usually hot weather and the
flies are apt to be bad and the past
ures possibly are not in their best,
harvest is coming along soon and the
season is very acceptable to let the
milking rest.
A few weeks before the COW freshens
it is we'll to feed her a light feed of
some kind Of heterogeneous feed so that
nature will be supplied with the neces-
sary substance, so she will develop
good sized udder. Always keep a
memorandum of the time of service
and reckon 280 days from that time as
the time of coming fresh.
The COW should have exercise daily
for several weeks before the time of
calving. We know of many a good
COW that has died calving on account
of the muscles being so weak that the
strain was too much on them and the
COW simply died because her muscles
were so weak.
Provide good clean, dry box stall
for her and have it we'll bedded, each
day place her in this stall. Ten or
twelve days before freshening watch
her carefully, and when the udder is
we'll filed and the teats become quite
hard and the tendon on each side and
below the tail becomes lax you can be
assured that she is ready to freshen.
1t is we'll to give her personal atten-
ton at this time. If she gets along
we'll the birth Of the calf should take
but short time, if she has trouble
the better way is to call veterinary
at once. We were away last spring
when one of our best COWS was to
freshen and she had trouble and was
neglected, and we just luckily saved
the COW but lost the twin calves.
AS we have said before, the COW
should be fed a light feed both before
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for the first day or two after freshen-
ing should be warmed a little; her
quarters should be warm and dry and
we'll ventilated. 1t is we'll not to re-
move the calf too soon after it is
born; if he is strong and we'll he
should be up sucking in a half or
three quarters of an hour: if he has
not the strength he should be helped.
We think it is best for the calf to let
it remain with the COW for four days,
but for the benefit of the COW it is
probably best to only let him take
but one meal, and then when the COW
is out of the stall quietly remove him
to some other part of the barn. Never
draw all the milk from the cows I'D
der for a few days; nature has filled
it abnormally full, and if all is
drawn out nature draws on the system
of the cow to fill the udder again so
heavily that it very often sets up an
Inflammation and the COW has milk