McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1918-09-27
PROPER CARE OF
I, DAIRY ANIMALS
Stockmen Must Make Special E.
forts 10 Move Them With
a Minimum of Loss.
SHOULD Be FED REGULARLY
Every Effort Should BE Made to Expe-
dite Railroad Movement Of Cows
During Their Time In Transit
Keep Comfortable.

Each fall an influx of springer or
fresh cows enters dairying sections
that seek more iailch animals. Every
effort should be exercised to expedite
the railroad movement of the dairy
cows during their time In transit and
to provide all possible comfort for the
animals en- route. advise the dairy ex-
perts Of the q. s. department Of agri-
culture. Such care and attention will
reduce mortality and will increase the
production of the individual during
her lactation period over the flow
which generally obtains from the av-
erage COW that is carelessly "rail-
rOaded."
Valuable purebred cows should be
moved as rapidly as possible by ex-
press service or by freight under the
special system of loading described
below. from origin to destination.
Although the expense Of expressage
Is four or FIVE times as great as that
of handling the animals by freight, the
saving In animal comfort, shorter time
i'm transit and better conveniences for
feeding and watering the animals
make the added expenditure advis-
able. AS far as possible the animals
should be shipped one or two months
before they are due to freshen, as re-
peatedly fresh cows have been ruined
so far as the subsequent lactation pc
riod has been concerned as a result Of
being shipped shortly after freshening
br SO as to calve in transit.
Care In Shipping.
Mich cows of grade breeding usu-
ally are shipped by freight. The ex-
perienced stockman selects only dry
7 cowsr and far.springers for long ship
ments. Hetfers which are not due to
freshen until three or four weeks
after arrival at destination make good
buys" as they are Of a size and con-
dition which permits Of loading the
car to capacity. Furthermore. imma-
ture animals are less susceptible to
injury in transit and to damage as a
result OF marked change Of envi-
ronment. If possible, only animals
without horns should be shipped and
In case any horned animals have to
be moved they should be tied securely
or penned apart in one end of the car
10 preclude the possibility Of their in
jurlng other animals during the jour
y.ney. Similarly. where bulls are
shipped In mixed loads these sires
should be confined apart from the
other cattle. Other conditions being
equal. II Is advisable to load about
fourteen mature cows in 80 or 40
foot car. A practical arrangement is
to tie four cows In each end of the
car facing the end walls, and then
rough partitions can be installed SO
that two other rows of three cows
each face a center alleyway between
the car doors where the attendant can
stay and extra feed and water be car
ried. This arrangement is more com
Portable for the cows. ms they ride and
absorb the shock and Jar better, while
1t is also simpler for the caretaker to
feed the cows and clean out the car
en- route.
ship In Cold Weather.
As far as possible the stock should
be shipped during cold weather, ad-
wise the authorities Of the q. s. de-
partment Of agriculture. as cows han
died during hot weather are liable to
shrink appreciably in milk flow during
the successive lactation period. Spe-
cial precaution must be exercised in
shipping cows during cold weather
to avoid exposure which WILL favor
the contraction of pneumonia. usually
a fatal disease among mature cow
stuff. At best it takes an animal about
a year to become thoroughly accli
mated to warmer or colder climate
than that to which 1t has been accus'