Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-01-08
MORE MILK IF COWS
FRESHEN IN THE FALL
Climatic Conditions Of Winter
Easier Controlled.
HOT WEATHER IS UNDESIRABLE
(6y PROFESSOR c. LARSEN, South
Dakota State Colleqe.)

Dakota State CoIIege.)
Will COWS that freshen in fall yield
more milk than those freshening in
spring?
This question the writer or any
other person cannot answer and have
the answer correct in different local
tiles and under different conditions.
In the Dakotas, and probably in other
Central West states, the writer feels
safe in making the statement that a
cow freshening in the fall will give
more milk than the same or a similar
COW will give when freshening in the
spring.
This statement may be somewhat
OF a surprise to some of the readers,
as many consider the Northwest I'M
favorable for dairy farming, due to
the long and rather hard winters.
A stage in farming progress has
been reached when winter climatic
conditions can better be controlled
than can summer conditions. 1t is
easier and cheaper to protect a dairy
COW from excessive cold than it is 10
protect her from excessive heat. Hot
weather is undesirable for COWS, but
worst of all is that such weather is
accompanied with cow pests of va
rious kinds, such as flies in the day
time and mosquitoes at night. In
the writer's experience there is moth
ing so effective in drying a COW as
hot weather, plus flies and mosqui-
toes.
True it is that we now have fly
repelling preparations that can be
sprayed On the COWS and in that way
alleviate the COWS from flies during
milking time and in part during the
day. The writer has yet to find a sub
stance which will keep the flies away
over about an hour after it has been
Put on. These fly repellers are quite
effective and practical to use on the
in the barn just previous to
milking, but they are less effective
and practical for keeping the flies
off during the whole day in the pas
ture. AS to mosquito repellers the
writer has found nothing that can
be, used at a reasonable cost.
In addition many pastures are shor5
Of good feed during a large part OF
the summer. This, of course, can be
overcome by supplementing with
silage or some soiling crop. Under
average dairy farm conditions this
latter is not practiced.
The dairy farmers of the Northwest
are extremely busy with their crops
during the summer months. There
is a strong temptation to neglect
their COWS during this part of the
year. Every dairyman knows what
this "a when milking time comes.
1t means less milk.
The writer is fully aware that a
COW freshening in the spring will
yield a maximum amount Of milk
during the spring months when pas
lures are green, weather favorable
and no mosquitoes and flies to trouble
the COWS. These conditions are, how
ever, of short duration. When the
unfavorable summer conditions come
en- the COW drops off in her milk flow.
When a cow once has dropped in
milk it is difficult to get her back to
her normal flow. The final result
is that the annual milk flow from a
spring cow is less than when she
freshens in the fall.
The dairy farmers Of the North
west are rapidly getting wise to the
use of silage as a COW feed. Thou
sands of silos were sold and built in
the Dakotas this year. With good
silage as a %succulent winter feed, a
well ventilated, lighted and comfort
able barn, and plenty of good care,
the GOV freshening in the fall will
give a good uniform flow of milk under
winter conditions. When the COW is
turned in pasture she will increase
her milk flow. When the unfavor-
able summer conditions come on she
will go dry almost at once This is
desirable, as a GOV should have about
two months rest during the year.
The time to give the dairy COW her
vacation is when the farmer is busy
harvesting his crop and when the
flies, mosquitoes, hot weather and dry
pasture will not let the COW do her
best as a milk producer.
According to records on hand the
writer feels safe in saying that a COW
in the Dakotas and other states hav-
ing similar conditions will yield at
least 20 per cent more milk during
the year when freshening in the fall
than when freshening in the spring.
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