The Ordway new era., 1918-09-27
CARE OF
DAIRY ANIMALS
Stockmen Must Make Special Ef-
forts to 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 milch 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 trail
roaded."
Valuable purebred cows should be
moved as rapidly us 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
in transit and better conyeniences for
feeding and watering the animals
make the added expenditure advis-
able. AS far as possible the animals
should DE 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
or 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
cows and far-springers for long ship
ments. Refers which are not due to
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
to preclude the possibility of their in
Turing other animals during the jour
ney. Similarly, where bulls are
shipped in mixed loads these sires
should be confined apart from the
other cattle. Other conditions being
equal, it is advisable to load about
fourteen mature cows in n 3S or 40
foot car. A practical arrangement is
10 tie four cows in each end of the
ear 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, as they ride and
absorb the shock and jar better, while
It 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 U. 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-
cinl 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 accll-
mated to a warmer or colder climate |
han that to which it has been accus-