The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-05-17
To Develop Udders of Heifers.

The development of udders on heifers is
one of the most vital questions concerning
the dairy business, because heifer can
give milk only in proportion to her udder
development Many COWS that have been
brought to milk under ordinary care might
have been made to yield double the amount
if they had been properly developed. 1t
seems the height of folly to save few
dollars on the feed bill and lose more than
it would amount to every year in the COW 5
producing period.
The old saying is, "the way to man s
heart is through his stomach" The way
to develop an udder on heifer is through
her stomach, and it must be done almost
entirely during her first two years of pro-
duction. 1t is impossible to develop, to
her fullest capacity, any heifer that has
been neglected during those years, no mat
ter what her inherent qualities are. To
properly bring heifer up to her milking
period, to fulfill all that she is bred to do,
we must begin with her at birth, because
one of the greatest hindrances is cholera,
not Wnlte SCOUTS.
So few know the difference between
these two diseases-they are distinct and
require such entirely different treatment
that it is well for everyone to study them
and be prepared. Until DIR. klien, of
South Carolina brought out the formalin
solution treatment, white scours was al
most incurable This remedy now prom
ises to save more than 80 per cent. if taken
in time.
My calves are allowed to remain with
their dams for two days, when they are
taken away and fed with calf feeder,
two thirds whole milk and one-third sep
arator milk, and enough to ''fll up their
Sides Some will take more than others,
and the more it takes to fill them up the
better the outlook for a dairy COW, because
they have the capacity.
After once determining how much each
will take, we are very careful to feed same
amount every time, of course increasing
as the calf grows older. After the calf is
four or five weeks old the whole milk is
reduced as they learn to eat grain; corn
and oats with bran, equal parts by weight.
They are thus carried along, kept free
from lice, sprayed to protect from flies, and
made to grow as fast as possible until they
are about 16 months old, when they are
bred
Then the tug of war begins, because
we have to keep the heifer growing and de-
velop the fntus and the milking capabili
ties of the cow-three things, where be-
fore we had but one. Now is the time to
reach her udder through her stomach out
of the grain bin. 1t has been my observa-
ton that the average dairyman could feed
all he has been in the habit of doing, then
feed as much more. Bran and oats are
all that is needed, unless the COW should
lack flesh, when cornmeal may be added.
Here again we must study each individ-
ual COW as to quantity. But feed; don't
think of the cost look ahead to the profit
each year for II to IA years. IF you have
the right kind of COW she will pay you
more interest than any savings bank.
If the udder gets hard before the heifer
liesueus, d lew ulOpe VI shohc IooI oAlldCG
will cure it. Get the udder developed
with the first freshening, and when it is
once developed see that the COW has enough
feed to use to fill the udder twice every
day.
There are many things absolutely neces-
sary to win success that no one can get by
reading. might learn Professor Henry's
book, Feed and Feeding, by heart, still
| would then not know one-half on the
subject that the author does.
The thing that causes me the most trou-
BILE is the milking of the heifer. A COW
has an affection which she will usually give
to the one most attentive to her. She will
give her milk to this one better than to
anyone else, and to secure the best results
he should milk her regularly; but should
he be called away and the milking left to
someone else, much damage may be done.
All things considered, it seems best to
have two mixers for the heifer, that she
may get accustomed to both; one for morn
ing and the other for the nights milking.