The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-07-08
COBB TELLS POINTS
Of GOOD DAIRY COW
FOR WAYNE FARMERS
Describes Essentials of Typl-
cal Animal Best Adapted to
Yield Profit to Man on
Small Lots.

Every farmer can buy COW, put
not every farmer knows whether or
not he is getting good COW "heh
he makes the purchase. This Is large
~ due to a failure to appreciate the
fact that dairy COW Is nothing more
than highly developed machine Tor
the production of milk and butter tat.
The several breeds of dairy cattle have
been bred for a century and more
with this sole purpose In view, anu
the milk producing traits have Deeh
developed to the exclusion OF other
characteristics. The body conforma-
ton, and the nervous development OF
OF the animals all conform to the pc
culiar requirements of the functions
OF milk production. -.,-,.-~s.~.-.
The demands upon the system OF
a dairy COW producing twenty pounds
of milk day are equally as great as
those OF a horse at work. A certain
amount of food is required to furnish
the heat and energy for the bodily
needs OF the animal, and In addition
to that the COW must have capacity
for consuming enough food to pro-
dIce the daily flow OF milk.
Cow Produces Milk.
To meet these requirements for enor-
nous food consumption the body or
the typical dairy COW has been so con-
structed that this food can be prop
erly consumed, and so appropriated
that milk will be produced instead OF
body fat Hence we speak OF the typl-
cal wedge-shaped body of the dairy
COW, which provides for the greatest
width ana depth of body in the re-
gion of the digestive organs. Many
of the characteristics of the animal
apparently have no direct connection
with the function of milk production,
but experience has shown that they
always go hand in hand.
The typical dairy COW, no matter
what her breed may be, should have a
large, wide muzzle, prominently dish
ed face and large protruding eyes.
The neck should be long and thin, and
the threat clean. She should be sharp
and thin over the wither with promi-
ent, sloping shoulder 1t is impor-
tant that the heart girth should be
large and full, and the floor Of the
chest wide, for this is the region OF
the vital organs, the heart and lungs,
and there must be no construction
that would hinder the normal func-
tons of these important organs.
Points on Back.
The back should be long and level,
with the spines prominent, and not
covered with. layer of flesh and fat
as in the case of the beef animal. The
good dairy COW puts her food in the
pail and not on her back. The ribs
should be we'll sprung, and the abdo-
men wide and deep to provide capacity
for the consumption of food. The tail
head should be long and level and the
hind quarters thin and incurving.
Dairy temperament is indicated by
fine quality, thin, loose skin, fine,
smooth hair, small horns and ears, and
nervous, alert disposition. Natur-
ally the mammary development is the
most important part of the cows make
up. The secret of the actual process
of milk production has never been un-
folded. The mammary glands are
specialized tissues in. which wonderful
and extensive chemical changes ap-
pear. The udder of each individual
COW is law unto itself in the char.
acteristics of the milk it produces, and
is not subject in any large degree tC
control through feeding or other treat
ment that is not actual abuse.
Other Important Points.
The udder should be large, extend
we'll up behind. level bottom and carry
far forward; the teats should be even
ly placed. The milk veins, one on
each side, and running forward along
the under part of the body from the
fore udder, perform the important func
tion of carrying the impure blood away
from the udder after it has done its
part in the process Of milk secretion
These veins should be long and tor
tuous. They enter the body wall
through openings known as the milk
wells, which should also be large The
quantity of milk produced is regulated
to a certain extent by the amount Of
blood which flows through the udder
and the size and capacity of these
veins are therefore indications of the
quantity of milk which the COW car
produce.
These indications are all characters
tic of the typical good dairy COW. Elk
perience has shown that the exceptions
noted from time to time only go to
prove the general rule.