Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-18
Fall CalYing.

are obtained from cows that calve IN
the, fall, if proper feed, care n shell
ter are provided during the winter.
The price of butter. fat is always nlgn,
err at this time, when the cows would
be giving the most milk. 1t will often
eight. dollars per year in the o
from a cow, whether she calves in
the fall or spring.
The COW that calves in the early
fell. while on grass, is in the best con-
dition to make a high yield when
fresh. Good care and feed through
out the winter will maintain the yield,
and when the COW is turned on pas,
ture in the spring a fresh flow will
be started. that will considerably in
crease the years profit.
The GOV that calves in the spring
will give a large yield of milk while
the grass is good, but when the pas
lures dry up. and flies begin to both
er, their yield is cut lower, and In the
fall it will be almost impossible to
bring this yield back, even with the
best of feeding. =,
Cows with fair surroundings can be
made more comfortable in the winter,
than in the hummer and with fall
calving will be dry when heat. flies
and drouth are the severest, and when
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farm work most pressing. During the
late fall and winter there is more
time to properly care for the calves
and such work furnishes profitable
employment at a time when the help
on the farm would otherwise be either
idle or working for very low wages.
Treatment Before and After Calving
With most cows, the highest yield
for the year can be obtained by allow
ing them to go dry for a month or two
before calving. This applies especial
ly to the dairy breeds. There is not
much trouble in allowing the ordinary
cows to go dry, as their tendency is to
do this on their w account. y The
best records made by dairy cows are
usually obtained by milking about ten
months in the year. When cows are
MIXED almost continuously, it is found
that for the last month and a half to
two months before calving the milk
has a bad odor, is hard to churn and
will injure the butter made from any
milk with which it is mixed.
With some of the pure dairy breeds
1t is sometimes difficult to dry up the
cows. This, however, can usually be
accomplished by reducing the amount
grain, and as the yield Of milk de-
creases, the frequency of milking
should also be lessened, first to once
a day, then to once in two days. If
the GOV continues to give milk under
such treatment, and If the udder gets
hard and feverish, it would be neces-
sary to keep up the milking, but the
ration should be changed. so as to re-
duce the production Of milk as much
as possible.
If by an oversight the drying up
process has been neglected, until with
in a few weeks of calving, it is not
best to attempt it, as there is a risk
Of injuring the health of the COW and
her udder. After the dairy COW has
been dried up she requires very little
attention except to see that she has
good feed, shelter and water. The
feed should be laxative in character.
and not too rich. Alfalfa say is one
of the best feeds that could be given
ley should be fed. as these feeds are
constipating in effect. Silage, root
crops, alfalfa, or a little linseed meal
will be found the best class of feeds.
At the time Of calving, the COW
should have comfortable quarters.
She should be blanketed as soon as
the calf Is dropped, and kept blank
eted until she la gained her normal
condition. A very satisfactory blank
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together. AT this time the cow should
be fed light. loosening food, and all
the water she will drink, but the chill
should be removed from it before it is
given, especially for the first day or
two.
It is always desirable to allow the
calf to have some Of the first milk,
but care must be exercised in not
allowing it to take too much. The
colostrom in the first milk is NEEDED
as the first food for the calf. If the
cows udder is calsed and feverish,
the rubbing of the calf against it in
trying to suck, will help to reduce the
Inflammation. If it is desired to teach
the calf to drink Immediately, a small
amount Of the first milk may be
drawn and fed to the calf. The best
way to teach. a calf to drink by itself,
Is to allow it to get rather hungry
and then offer it warm milk direct
from the cow. 1t is very seldom nec-
essary to allow a calf to suck a finger
Then teaching it to drink. '