The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-12-24

known that tuberculosis can be trans
mitted from cows to man through the
milk. Ii will pay to keep only cows
that are known to be free from dis.
ease. In the hands OF an experienced
veterinarian the tuberculin test can be
relied on to give satisfactory results.
Selecting the Bull.
The selection of n bull to head the
herd is of fully as great Importance as
the selection of the cows. The main
points to look for In n dairy bull are
quality, constitution and roominess OF
barrel. He should be OF good DISPOSE
ton. but should show plenty of mascu-
Unity In strong head and thick
crest. A bull that looks like n COW
will not have the ability to reproduce
bis good points I'm his offspring with
any degree Of certainty. The bull'a
pedigree Is also important. The rec
ords of his mother and other female
ancestors are very good indications Of
the inherent milk producing qualities
that he possesses.
In most cases 1t pays to breed dairy
cows for fall calving. The greatest
milk flow will then come IN the winter.
when there Is no field work to do.
Then when grass comes the milk flow
Is stimulated. and the COW is kept up
to her maximum production for the
longest possible time. When cows that
calve in the spring are put on dry feed
in the fail the milk yield Is reduced
and the total yearly product lessened.
The COW should always be dried up
at least three weeks before calving,
even If she Is still giving consider
able quantity of milk. She will come
through the ordeal OF calving in enough
better shape to make up for the milk
lost. A day or two previous to calv-
ing she should be shut up by herself
somewhere and given loosening and
cooling feeds. such as bran masbes
with little oilmeal added. Some
one should always be with the cow
when she calves In order to render any
assistance that may be necessary,
though If the cow is in good health
she will usually have no difficulty.
The worst trouble to which highly
bred dairy cows are subject is milk
fever. which is described in article D.
The calf should be given the first
milk. as this will start its digestive
system to working. The milk will be
all right to use in four Or five days
If the COW is not sick. Until that time
the calf may be allowed to suck.
Disposine of the Calves.
The question of what to do with the
calves is an important one on the dairy
farm. The hefers should generally be
saved. as some of them will be needed
to replace some of the COWS in the
herd. and the others can be readily sold
at good prices. Probably the best way
to dispose of the bull calves is to veal
them. After they are from ten days to
two weeks old they should be changed
to skimmilk gradually. taking two or
three days TO make the complete
change. 1t will not be long after this
until they will begin to eat little
cornmeal. II it is given after they have
had their milk and are looking for
something TO suck. The meal may be
increased in amount slowly, being care
full not to feed more than they will eat
up clean.
= The care and feed of the heifer
calves which are to be kept for COWS
should be much the same as advised
for steer calves in a preceding arti-
Gle. except that the grain ration should
consist of oats or bran instead of corn.
The heifPrs should be kept growing
well, but should not be given fattening
feeds or feed of any kind in large
enough quantities to cause them to be-
come fat. II the tendency to lay on
fat is developed IN heifer she is la
BILE to continue to fatten after she Is
grown.
In case the calves get to securing, a
little blood meal put In the milk will
stop 1t. The amount of milk should
never be more than eight to ten quarts
a day. Most of the failures in raising
skimmilk calves are caused by feed
ing too much milk or by putting grain
into the milk. Plenty of clover hay
get at it. Fed in this way. they will
make profitable veal at from eight to
ten weeks of age.
In order to tell just which COWS are
the most profitable 1t pays to keep
record of them. The most practicable
way to do this is TO weigh the milk
for six consecutive mllkings once
month at the same time each month.
Multiplying the average of these six
weights by the number of days in the
month gives the amount of milk pro-