The Meeker herald., 1918-09-28
PROPER CARE OF
DAIRY ANIMALS
Stockmen Must Make Special e.
forts to Move Them With
a Minimum Of Loss.
SHOULD Be FED REGULARLY
Every Effort Should Be Made to Exps.
dite Railroad Movement Of Cows
During Their Time In TransIt-
Keep Comfortable.

Each fall an Influx Of springer or
fresh cows enters dairylng 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 ull possible comfort for the
animals en- route, advise the dairy ex-
perts Of the U. 8. 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 nv.
erage Cow that Is cnreiessly "raEl-
rOaded."
Valuable purebred cows should be
moved as rupidly 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 expressnge
is four or five times ns great rs that
Of handling the animals by freight, the
saving In animal comfort, shorter time
In transit and better cOnveniences for
feeding md watering the animals
make the added expenditure advls-
able. As fur az possible the animals
should be shipped one or two months
before they ARE due to freshen. as re-
peatedly fresh cows have been ruined
20 far as the subsequent Notation De-
Rod has been concerned as II 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-
perienccd stOckmnn selects only dry
cows and far-springers for long ship
mems. Heifcrs which are not due to
freshen until three or four weeks
after arrival mt destination make good
buys" us they are OF size and con-
ditIon which permits Of loading the
cur to capacity. Furthermore. imma-
ture animals are less susceptible to
Injury In transit and to damage as n
result Of marked change OF envi-
ronment. II possible. only animals
without horns should be shipped and
In cnse nny horned animals have to
be moved they should be tied securely
or pennetl npart 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 he confined apart from the
other cattle. Other conditions being |
equal. II Is advisable to load about |
Povetaoo sp sturo ro,yu In . 40 mr. N |
foot car. A practical arrangement IL
to tie four cows In each end Of the |
car facing the end walls. and then
rough partitions can be installed no
TINT two other rows Of three cows
each face a center alleyway between
the car doors where the attendant can
stny 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 jnr better. while
It Is also simpler for the caretaker to
feed the cows and clean out the car
FL route.
Ship In Cold Weather.
As fur as possible the stock should
he shipped during cold weather. ad.
wise the authorities Of the U. 9. de-
partment Of agriculture. us cows han
died during hot weather are liable to
shrink appreciably in milk flow during
he successive lactati0n period. Spe-
rial precaution must be exercised In
cows during cold weather.
70 avoid exposure which will favor
The contraction Of pneumonia. usually
4 fatal disease among mature cow
stun. At best 1t takes an animal about
. yeRr to become thoroughly accli-
mated to warmer or colder climate
hun TINT to which II has been accus.