Oxford Democrat., 1914-08-11
Excitement Bad for Cows.

While dogs save many steps in getting
cows from the pasture they usually do
more harm than good. Where there ID
one dog that will drive stock quietly and
peacefully there are ten which will gel
measure in dollars aud cents just what II
Gusts to get milk cows excited, few of Us
would have a dog on the farm, at least
for getting the cows.
Last summer | was talking with a
neighbor farmer and discussing dairy
problems in general. He kept dairy OF
about twenty. five Guernsey cows and
arranged his work so that he churned
once daily. One thing he could not uu'
.derstand, he said, was what made such
variation in the churnings from day to
day. With the cows on the same pasture
and getting the same general treatment,
he said some days his churnings would
be five pounds less than on other days.
At first | could see no obvious reason
why there should be such variation
from day to day. Then he invited me
to 90 with him TO the pasture to see his
cows. On the way | noticed he had to
drive them along the road for short
distance and past corn field. As 1t was
along in the afternoon and about chore
time, he decided TO drive the cows to the
barn. The dog was with US. In going
past the corn field they were inclined to
try TO get into the corn and each time
the dog was used to chase them out
The cows were afraid OF him and would
run To get out of his way whenever he
barked.
[ suggested to my friend that his doc
was what caused the variations in his
churnings, but at first he disputed the
point. | told him some days the cows
" ould go along the road and not try to
get into the corn and that on these days
he would get normal churnings; that on
the days he dogged his cows out of the
corn there was falling of. While be
didn't believe there was anything in my
e1 PLANTATION, he said he would test the
matter. He strung some wires along the
road which would head off the stock and
kept the dog in the barn at COW time.
A few months later | was talking with
him again and asked him how he wa'
coming with his churnings. | was moi
surprised when he said there was almost
no variation from day to day. There
never was more than two pounds differ
euce, but before it would vary as much
as six or seven pounds. 1t was an object
lesson to myself as we'll as to the Other
man. He gave up using the dog as ht
saw he could we'll afford to take the time
either to get the cows himself or let his
hired man take the time to do it. Wher
| the cows had been dogged, resulting il
a loss of five pounds of butter in hi
case, the cost Of the excitement was close
l to a dollar and a half in butter.
Dairy cows, especially the best ones
are exceptionally nervous animals. Sc
cretion of milk is largely a nervou
process, we are told, and it is only nat
ural to suppose that fright or excitemen
will prevent normal working of tn
organs that secrete the milk. Sometime
a sudden fright will temporarily checl
the flow of saliva In our own mouths; oI
the other hand, influences such as th'
odor of or even thinking of something
good to eat will cause "our mouths t.
water" The same things which viii
retard the flow of saliva in our mouth
will retsrd the secretion of milk with th'
COWS.
Where the barn adjoins pasture
cows will usually come Of their own &C
cord at milking time, if they are given ;
few handfuls of grain each time. They
will learn to look for it and be regular
| in coming for 1t. Ii will be far cheaper
than depending upon dog.
believe it pays To feed the grain a
milking time rather than before or after
know one dairy man who makes it ;
practice TO give each COW her grain jus
before she is MIXED. This makes few
extra steps but he says he knows it pay
him mighty we'll for the extra time re
quired. Before a mixer sits down t.
the COW, he gives her whatever grain sh'
is to have 80 that she can be eating u
while he is milking her. Then when h'
is ready for another COW be does tn,
same thing. This keeps the COW quie
az she is more concerned in her graii
than in stepping around out OF the way
One thing which should be discouraged
and not allowed is rough handling of th
cows. While il Is provoking to have
COW kick over a pail of milk, it will d.
little good to kick her or pound her owe
the back with milking stool. 1t onl.
gets her excited and makes bad matte
worse. When COW kicks there is gen
| orally a cause, which may be sore teatS
An application of a good healing salv
will heal the wounds and be the bes
remedy for breaking the practice. a
| mixers finger nails should be short &
that they will not irritate the teats. =
II IN nat