Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-02-08
nerd is of fully as great 1mportance as


the selection Of the cows. The main
points to look for in a dairy bull are
quality. constitution and roominess of
barrel. He should be Of good DISPOSE.
ton. but should show plenty of mascu. |
Unity in a strong head and thick
crest. A bull that looks like COW
will not have the ability to reproduce
his good points in his offspring with
any degree Of certainty. The bulls
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 it 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 fall the milk yield is reduced
and the total yearly product lessened.
The COW should always be dried up
at least three weeks before calv1ng,
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 mashes
with a 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 5.
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.
Disposing Of the Calves.
The question of what to do with the
calves is an important one on the dairy
farm. The heifers 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 yea
them. After they are from ten days tc
two weeks old they should be changed
to skimmilk gradually, taking two OF
three days to make the complete
change 1t will not be long after this
until they will begin to eat little
cornmeal, if it is given after they have
had their milk and are looking fol
something to suck. The meal may b.
increased in amount slowly, being care
full not to feed more than they will ca
up clean.
The care and feed Of the heife
should be much the same as advises
for steer calves in a preceding art
l Gle. except that the grain ration SHOULD
consist of oats or bran instead OF corr
The heifers should be kept growing
we'll, but should not be given fatteninl
+ feeds or feed of any kind in larg
enough quantities to cause them to be
; come fat. If the tendency to lay O
: fat is developed in heifer she is lia
+ BILE to continue to fatten after she
}. grown.
]. In case the calves get to securing,
It little blood meal put in the milk wi
l. stop ii. The amount of milk shout
s never be more than eight to ten quart
e day. Most of the failures in raisin
s skimmilk calves are caused by feet
e ing too much milk or by putting graf
IS into the milk. Plenty Of clover ha
$. should be kept where the calves ca
r get at it. Fed in this way, they wi
e. make profitable veal at from eight
S. ten weeks of age.
t. In order to tell just which cows al
k the most profitable it pays to kee
a record of them. The most practical
N way to do this is to weigh the mil
for six consecutive milkings once
a. month at the same time each mont
to Multiplying the average of these s
It. weights by the number of days in I'll
re month gives the amount of milk pr