The Delta independent., 1925-01-16
AGRICULTURAL NOTES
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CBy Prof. Fonder)


all kinds on the Denver market has
added considerable enthusiasm to
exchange Already It is possible to
hear rumblings OF small fortunes
being made on sheep, Of big profits
on other classes. And yet a few
months ago people were laughing at
iyetock as money makers. Perhaps
even yet they will not make such
fabulous fortunes as some things, but
taken from year to year they will
furnish a good income That is. the
good years will more than offset the
bad years and the man who is in It
for the sake OF the game will come
out ahead in the long run
Care OF the Cow Before Freshenine.
The critical time in the life OF the
calf as well as in the life OF the COW
Is the time just previous to the birth
OF the calf This Is the critical time
because both the calf and the COW
are at a stage which can make the
birth either normal or abnormal. To
insure a normal condition for both
the COW and calf at birth II is neces-
sary to give them special and care
ful supervision in regard TO feeding
housing and handling
During the first seven TO eight
months OF pregnancy the COW Is as
a rule, producing a more or less
heavy flow OF milk. and also per
forming the functions OF maintaining
her body weight and OF building up
the foetus she carries. For many
animals any one OF these would be
a task IN itself and especially II Il
were necessary during the cold wint-
er months. For instance an animal
receives it's body warmth from the
food that it eats. II IL Is necessary
for Il 10 stand out in the open where
n great deal OF heat is being radiated
at all times Il will be necessary for
It to consume greater quantities OF
feed than II would otherwise have to
In addition TO this Il must also pro
duce a flow OF milk and nourish the
foetus It is carrying It will be evil
dent what a vast amount OF food
must be consumed to meet these re-
quirements.
And so. out Of fairness to the COW
good warm quarters should be pro
vided and the lactation period should
be brought TO n close at least a month
before time for frcsheninE. and six
weeks is generally better. These two
provisions viii so lessen the draft
on the powers Of the animal that
she will be able 10 do full Justice to
herself and her unborn calf and TO
permit both OF them TO come up to
the time for birth in excellent con
dition
II rs generally agreed that an ami
nal should not be too fat at the time
OF calying. But this expression is
not TO he interpreted too seriously in
regard to dairy COWS. There would
be possibility OF a beef COW becom
ing too fat but very rarely a true
dairy COW. On the other hand the
animal should be fed heavy during
this period and forced TO lay on all
the flesh that she will. And this
feeding should be done for two rea-
sons.
The COW that is fed well will nat
urally possess more strength and en-
durance than the animal which Is fed
only enough to keep her going Also.
II she Is given a balanced ration.
there viii be no part Of her body
which viii be suffering from uourish.
mont For instance, during the period
that she Is carrying the foetus. she
is called upon to supply great guam
titles OF lime. If she cannot obtain
this from her feed she viii then take
Il from her own body. and very large.
ly from the bony structure OF her
body, and this weakens her frame
work Then AT the time Of calvinE
she is in a weakened condition and
may suffer complications because OF
lack Of vitality. But there arc many
animals which calve In n weakened
condition and do not injure them.
selves or their calves But add TO
this the other reasons for heavy
feeding and its advisability will be
more evident
II has been an old age question
with the farmers IA to whether or
not the food that u COW eats win
increase the buttcrfat content OF her
milk. II is very evident that certain
feeds and certain quantities increase
the milk flow. but Il is not 80 evi-
dent whether II increases the butter
fat content. The general conclusion
OF dairy experts IL that the feed n
COW eats will not increase the amount