The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-04-01
BY J. G. HANEY,
Agricultural Extension Department.
International Harvester Co.

When it is realized that SO per cent
of milk is water, when drawn from
the cow, it will be readily seen that
an abundant supply of pure, fresh
water should always be available.
poor water Injuries the milk, wheth-
er used before or after milking.) 1t
has been found that the devices sup
plying water in front of the COW all
the time, SO that she may have it
whenever she wants is, will produce
the largest yields of milk. 1t is also
essential that the water be warmed
in winter time, at least to the extent
of taking off the chill. 1t requires
heat to warn this water, and it is
much cheaper to furnish it by the use
of an Oil stove or some warming de-
vice, than to furnish feed for the cow
with which to warm it.
There are many devices on the mar
ket for keeping water from freezing
in the tanks, and they are we'll worth
the cost Of installation and mainten-
ance. Where ~artesian wells are avail
able the question of keeping the wat
err supply in good condition is not so
SCIlOuS lHlS WdGt1 HIdy CACIlCI run
through the tank and out at some
waste, or if this is not possible, a turn
or two of the pipe through the tanks
in which warm water from the well
circulates, will keep the temperature
from reaching the freezing point, and
if the tanks are we'll banked and COW
cred, the water is kept in very good
condition. In many instances, such
arrangements require only a little of
time and attention.
Shelter.
The dairy COW, because of the fact
that she puts the products from her
feed into the milk pail instead of in
the form of flesh and fat on her body.
needs better shelter than the fatten-
ing stock. 1t is not necessary for this
shelter to be expensive, but it should
be adequate to the needs of the eli
mate, and should insure the cow being
warm and dry and having plenty of
light and pure air. The best winter
temperature for dairy barns is between
fifty and sixty degrees. If the temper
allure goes much above and below this,
there will be a decrease in the yield of
milk.
There is, perhaps, no consideration
that needs greater attention especial
ly in the northwest, than provision for
proper ventilation, particularly OF
dairy barns. There are probobly only
a few barns that would come up to the
specifications as to light and ventila-
ton. The dairy barn, in order to pro-
duce the best results, should provide
a cubic foot of air space for each
pound of weight of COW confined to
the barn, and good ventilation should
insure this air being kept pure with
out forming drafts. 1t is as injurious
to a COW to breathe impure air as 1t
is for human beings.
There should be sufficient windows
in the dairy barn so that it would be
light enough for a living room for
people, and this would require some
thing like four square feet of glass
per cow. Light is one of the mos
effective dsetroyers of disease germs,
and it is always in poorly lighted and
badly ventilated barns that diseased
cows are found.
Anyone considering the building of
a dairy barn should consult the state
dairy commissioners, or the United
States department of agriculture, for
plans and specifications, or anyone
having a barn which has not given
satisfaction should also consult this
department, with a view of making
such changes as will overcome any de-
ficiencies in this line.
Kindness.
Kindness is a great aid in increasing
and maintaining the milk yield, and
costs nothing. The dairy cow natural
ly produces milk for her calf, and does
this because she loves the calf. Con-
seuuently, the nearer the mixer can
take the place of her calf, the greater
yield he may expect. 1t is surprising
to note what a difference the attitude
of the mixer will have on the produc-
ton of milk. This has often been not
ed, where changes have been made, or
where men of different temperaments
milk cows for different periods. The
nervous. excitable, clustering mixer
never gets full results from the COW,
while the one who treats them gently,
speaks to them kindly, and gives them
a pat or two before milking, is the one
who gets the results. Running the
cows with dogs or beating them, or
scolding them, is bound to reduce the
amount of milk, and also the percent
age of butter fat.
As an example of what excitement
will do in causing the fluctuation of
the amounts of butter fat, some years
ago a carload of COWS was bought and
shipped a hundred miles on the rail
road. On arriving at their destination
they were unloaded and taken to the
arm, and given the best treatment pos
sible. At each milking for a week sam,
olcs OF the milk were taken and tested
from each cow. In many cases 1t was
a week before the butter fat returned
to normal. In one instance the cow
showed 3 per cent butter fat IN the
morning. and ID per cent butter tat IN
the evening. Another COW showed only
Is per cent butter fat in the first milk
ing, and on the evening of the third
day the percentage had increased to
III per cent. This shows what excite
ment or anything unusual may DO, lhe
milk flow was also greatly decreased.
Salt the Cow. -
A supply of salt should always be
available, so that the cows may have
it when they want it. Salt stimulates
he appetite, aids digestion n as,
- INC 1nAA NJ