The Ordway new era., 1917-08-10
Dairy Farming
and Its Benefits

When and How to Dry Of-.Lt is
not unusual to find COW which shows
no inclination to dry off at any time
after droEping her first or second
calf. Such an animal shows an eX-
cellent dairy ytrait-persistence of the
milking habit-but it is doubtful If
continuous milking is profitable. Bet
ter results are believed to be obtain
I'd from cows which are inclined to
take an annual rest, il not too long
A month is long enough; three weeks
will do in most cases, and six weeks
should be the longest time encourag
ed or allowed for COW to be dry be-
fore calving. An accurate record of
service by the bull is essential to
preparations for drying off cows at
the right time. A table should be kent
of the dates when the cows of the
herd are successfully due to calvc,
with notes as to the milking habit of
every one. When the time comes for
drying off cow the grain food should
be gradually withdrawn. This may
Of itself cause milk to cease forming.
II not, omit one milking day, then
milk about once in two days, and thus
extend the drying period over two
weeks. The udder must be watched
and if any hardening or unnatural
heat is shown regular milking must
be resumed. If a COW continues to
secrete milk it must be drawn. No
COW should be forced to "go dry"
against manifestly natural resistance
to so doing. On the other hand. If
an unpleasantly pungent or smoky
taste appears in a cows milk she may
as well be dried at once, regardless
of dates, as her milk will not be good
until she is fresh again.
CARE OF DRY COWS
The dry cow may be kept on pas
ture alone, not too luxurant, or on
| low stable diet mainly of course for
age, until about two weeks before
calving. Yet the ration, while COM
paratively wide" should be nutri-
tious, and it should include a share
of succulent food-roots or silage.
Then a slow but steady increase In
feeding may proceed, of a nourish-
ing, cool, and laxative kind. so as
to, become narrower in ratio. Wheat
bran is a good material to use at
this time, but new-process linseed
meal is better. Experience has led
the writer to endeavor to have his
cows calve on an upgrade, as 1t were,
while daily gaining in strength and
vigor, on a judiciously prepared
nourishing diet, but without high
feeding or plethora. A week before
calving remove the cow to roomy.
comfortable. quiet box stall. prefer
ably within hearing OF the herd. II
not in sight Be sure the bowels are
quite loose and moving freely for two
days before calving. Watch for the
event, but do not disturb the COW or
interfere unless something goes
wrong or assistance is manffestly
necessary.
ABORTION
In the best regulated and cared for
herds there will occasionally occur
physical accident or some sudden
fright which causes cow to prema-
turely drop her calf The herd should
be constantly watched for symptoms
of abortion, which will generally be
recognized by the experienced herds
man. Should such symptoms appear
the suspect should be Immediately re-
moved to hospital until the case is
over or the signs disappear. In case
abortion occurs In stable, yard, or
pasture, despite precautions, and
wholly without warning, as is some
times the case, take the animal to
hospital at once and use every exer-
tion to thoroly clean and dtsinfect
the place where the accident occur
red. The aborted COW should be
carefully nursed and the genial or
gans freely dressed with antiseptic
solutions. The animal should not re-
turn to the herd until fully cured,
clean and free from all vaginal dis
charges. Be on guard for a second
case following the first in few days
or within three weeks; If a month
elapses recurrence is not to be ex-
pected. Veterinarians recognize two
distinct kinds of abortion, viz, the
sporadic, which is the first mentioned
above, as resulting from "sympathe-
tic. Influences; and the episootic OF
contagious, which is undoubtedly q
germ disease. communicated from
animal to animal by the germ and
caused only by contagion. There Is
still much uncertainty about this
i y. AZ.