Class _1 > r X , 111 . ' N \ \ l' s V ■^ \ \ \S 4 N li^ ■' h^ 'f;-.^5 N ^ "^^ "n k - ., ;^-i ^> S N e "•- '-j ^. k- i '^,, r^"""- , - ■"- r> ~ - ^ ~^ ~^ u"-Z ^- ^ ^"^ ^--. ^-. ^ --- . -- ^-^ ^- '^~. "--^■""^ s 1 T 1 7 --^^ T *■ ■ -. "1 "^ ■^ , ^ ^ _, "^ -^ 1 .. ■' -. ■~, ~- - . ^-^ ■^ --^^ "~- -^ - -, ~ "^ ^ ', i J =: T T •) := •^ ': T .' Jf 1 9 « 2 1 I 4 1 , ._ -1 Chart illustrating how the 'progeny of two foundation cows can build up a herd of forty in six years time. Three methods of establishing a herd are: (1.) The purchase outright of a herd consisting of ma- ture animals; (2.) The purchase and development of a calf herd; (3.)The purchase of a few foundation cows and one bull and building up of a herd con- sisting of descendants of this foundation stock. Usually a farmer's excuse for not attempting to develop a pure bred herd is that it costs too much to invest in that kind of stock, but if he could in- Establishing a Pure-Bred Herd 5 crease his production 71 per cent by the use of a pure-bred bull, as the Iowa State College have done, and further increase his profits by keeping accurate records on each cow of the cost of feed consumed and milk produced, and determine whether the cow wiU produce enough milk to pay for an additional pound of grain consumed, he would undoubtedly succeed, providing that he had the necessary quali- fications for a successful manager. This chart illustrates how it is possible for two foundation cows and one bull to increase to a herd of 'in -i]''p-K^"''j -"i'hin a period of six years. This is the d be followed in the establishing of a her-l under the third method noted above. It is the most economical and satisfactory method in that it requires the least outlay, and if the best foundation cows are selected a good herd can be de- veloped within six years, paying for its development as they go. The likelihood of importing disease as compared v/hh that incurred when buying a number r f rows Js very smiU. a herd it can also be used for improving a lieri. If a farmer has a grade herd, his aim should be to have eventually all pure-bred cows. lie should not at- tempt to make the change too suddenly, but to grad- ually work in to pure-breds by replacing two of his grade cows with two registered cows and one regi:-- tered bull, if he does not already possess one, and then follow the schedule as outlined on the chart. While it is possible for the original two foundation cows to multiply to forty, we should be entirely 6 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle satisfied after allowing for losses and breeding troubles, to figure on from 25 to 30. It is to be assumed that the buU calves are sold, and registered heifers purchased from the proceeds. Once the farmer has thus established a herd of high quality, he renders himself practically inde- pendent of external resources so far as breed is con- cerned. He may, of course with his increased profits, desire to purchase stiU better stock at higher prices ; although by continued attention to his own stock there is no reason why he should not improve it from within to the highest standard which his resources enable him to maintain. In the meantime his in- come will have been augmented not only by the in- creased productivity of his milch cows, but also by the sale of pure-bred calves at proportional prices. Picture to yourself the result if every farmer were to do his part in raising the standard of milk pro- duction to what it should be. He could at least relieve us of the wholly unnecessary burden of that unproductive third of the country's herd. That would be his part in a national service, a part for which he would be very liberally paid by his in- creased profits. The two foundation cows marked X are bred so that they wiU have a calf each year. In six years time they will have six calves each, marked 1. When the first calves are two years old they will each have a calf, marked 2. It will not be advisable to breed the original bull to his own daughters, but to use his own son, out of another cow. If any of the calves marked from 2 to 8 on top of the circles are >***,">. OSWALD'S PET AND FOUR OF HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS NOBLE SULTAN'S GOLDEN FERN Establishing a Pure-Bred Herd 7 bulls, they will be sold and the money used to pur- chase heifers, to replace them for breeding. We have seen that the progeny of one cow may, not allowing for losses, reach in six years a total of twenty head; calculation shows that in twice that time, assuming one calf each year for every cow two years old or over, and not allowing for deaths, the number would swell to one hundred and eighty- seven. CHAPTER II Calves, from Birth until Two Years Old THE ACCOMPANYING calf schedule {See page 24) should be hung in a convenient place in the calf barn, so that it can be studied and referred to by the man who is caring for the calves. It has been prepared as a guide and can be followed very closely, but a large share of the success in raising calves is due to the feeder, who by experience and good judgment knows when to feed more or less than is called for on the chart. Just before the calf is born the cow should have a dose of epsom salts, about one pound in two quarts of water ; f is helps to cool the blood and acts as a laxative. /i.fler the first signs of calving, if yo j a:'e sure that all of the conditions are normal, it is best to leave the cow entirely alone in the maternity stall until immediately after calving, at which time the foetal membrane that covers the nose is removed so that the calf will not suffocate. If it is apparently strong and healthy it will require no further im- mediate attention. If the presentation is abnormal, the condition should be attended to at once by an experienced man. After the cow has licked her calf dry, she should be tied in one corner of the stall, 8 CALF ONE MONTH OLD BULL CALF FOUR MONTHS OLD Calves from Birth until Two Years 9 leaving the tie rope long enough for lie. t- She should be left there until she hso cir . jiacenia is, of course, removed from the staL. Ihe calf should have the first or colostrum milk, which it will usually nurse naturally and without as- sistance. If the udder is exceptionally hard, or the calf nniisually weak, it ma/ be necessary to assist the calf to nurse, whi;/ ilking the cow and feeding it to ^.u: _.,.; ji.x j bottle and nipple, or by holding the calf up to the udder and allowing it to nurse itself. Under no condition is the calf permitted to remain with the dam longer than 24 hours. There are no material advan- tages to be gained by allowing the calf to remain longer than this. On the contrary, the calf is very apt to suffer if it stays longer than this with the mother, as it is liable to drink too often or to take too much milk at one time. In the case of channel island breeds, the milk may be too rich and cause scours. Moreover if the calf is left with the dam for several days or weeks, there will be a setback or loss of flesh when it is weaned, which is contrary to our aim to keep the calf growing without any set- back. When weaned within twenty-four hours, the calves learn to drink from the pail at the first or second feeding, and the change does not affect them in any way. Another reason for immediate weaning is that the whole milk available for sale is corre- spondingly increased, an item worth considering. Then again cows that are placed on official test are usually started the fourth day after calving, and if there is not a long enough interval between weaning 10 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle time and the start of the test, a cow will hold her milk back for the calf. If the dam is in good condition the calf is fed mother's milk for the first ten days. It is allowed to nurse twenty-four hours only, and for the fol- lowing nine days the dam is milked by hand and the milk modified as follows: two pounds of the dam's milk and one half pound of skim milk, fed three times a day. It is very important that the tempera- ture be about 100 degrees. If the milk has stood and cooled, it will be necessary to heat it again, either over a stove or by allowing live steam to run through it. In some instances we may have to wean the calf immediately or very soon after birth. It sometimes happens that heifer with her first calf refuses to let it nurse and she may even severely injure it by kicking; or the dam may have an attack of milk fever and be unable to nurse. Under such conditions the calf is immediately removed and placed in a separate stall. If it has not had any of the colostrum milk, give it a dose of castor oil (1 to 2 ounces in a little milk, and repeat again later if necessary) . This will have the same effect as the colostrum milk in cleaning out the calf and leaving its digestive system in a better condition to digest the herd milk which we have been forced to use. The results from this substitution will, however, be just as satisfactory as though the dam's milk had been used, provided the bowels are kept in a. normal condition. In this emergency start feeding according to the schedule for the first ten days on the chart. Calves from Birth until Two Years 11 As a preventive of white scours or other infectious diseases that may enter the system through the navel of the calf, it should be painted with iodine as soon as possible after birth, and this operation should be repeated before weaning. While the calf is still with its dam, it should be identified, so that there will be no possibility of its Brookwood Farms Herd BIRTH RECORD Color Tnrtpt^ Tf'-ftxXC R ttAir h ///-K^JZ^ Marks '■<^^^^'^ TJ^f-y'cJLc^a-J^. KxIl^ a^u^^/^-ty Tbb stip to be sent to FUm Officeimmediately after caU is dropped. getting confused with other calves of the same size and description. A very simple and successful method is to have a collar or light chain securely strapped around the neck and locked with a small padlock, which is stamped with the identification number of the calf. This lock can be used per- manently. When the horns are large enough to support a chain, the collar is removed and a chain is locked around the horns. After the calf is three 12 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle or four days old the same number that has been given as a lock or herd identification number should be tattooed in the ear as a fixed identification mark. The birth record card is then filled out for future reference in applying for birth certificate, identifica- tion, etc. The calf should now be placed in. a separate box stall with solid partitions, so that it cannot come in contact with other calves, and it should remain so isolated for at least the first six weeks. This is to prevent the spreading of any infectious disease that might develop in one of the calves. After the tenth day replace the dam's milk with the regular herd milk and gradually increase the amount until at the end of the fifteenth day the mixture consists of 3^ pounds of whole milk and ^ pound of skim milk. At this time we can start feeding twice a day. The amount can be continued unchanged until skim milk is substituted, at the age of from four to six weeks, according to the progress and condition of the calf. The change from whole to skim milk is to be made gradually, over a period of at least one week, lessening the amount of whole milk at each meal and adding skim milk. During this time the calf will begin to eat hay and some grain. The skim milk is increased according to the chart until the calf is six months old, at which time it receives 9 pounds to a feed, or 18 pounds daily. The following standard grain ration is used; Parts by weight, of BULL CALF 12 MONTHS OLD Calves from Birtli until Two Years 13 Corn Meal 3 Ground Oats 3 Wheat Bran 1 OilMeal 1 All grain is fed in small wooden boxes measuring 12 by 12 by 6 inches, which are placed on shelves or racks in the box stalls so that they will be off the floor and easy to remove for cleaning. This clean- ing and sterilizing should be done daUy. A small amount of the grain ration should be placed in the boxes after each milk feeding. Never give them more than they will clean up between the milk feed- ings. For instance, if we give three-quarters of a pound of grain for the morning feed, and at noon notice that there is some grain left in the box, we would cut the next feeding down to one half pound. As a rule the young calf wiU not overeat grain, but it should be watched closely and fed accordingly. When we first teach the calf to eat grain it will eat about ^ of a pound a day; it will gradually take more until at the end of six months it receives not over two and one half or three pounds daily. One of the most important things to watch in the young calf is the condition of the bowels, and to treat it promptly in the first stages of trouble. At the first sign of scouring, cut down on the feed sup- ply, in particular cut the amount of milk in half. If the attack is sudden and violent take all of the milk away for at least two feeds and give a dose of castor oil, one to three ounces in a pint of milk (according to size of calf) ; and as the calf shows signs of recovery increase the feed very slowly. 14 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle Constipation is sometimes as serious as scours and should be treated just as promptly by giving castor oil; in some cases an enema of soapy water, with a little salt added, may be necessary. An ailment that is very often fatal with calves, is a form of indigestion due to curdled milk or casein in the calf's stomach. The lump of undigested milk finally becomes so hard and tough that it cannot pass into the bowels. In advanced stages this dis- ease seems to affect the brain, and the calf dies as though in a fit. A preventive of this trouble is to give a pinch of baking soda in each feeding of milk. The first symptoms may be hard to distinguish from those of other forms of indigestion ; but usually the action on the brain sets in very soon, and the calf appears dizzy, throwing its head back and to one side and finally it falls over as though in a fit. The first treatment upon noticeable signs of dizziness is to give the calf one teaspoonful of bromides in a teaspoonful of water (equal parts of the bromides of Ammonium, Strontium, Sodium, Potassium). The dose should be repeated two or three times if necessary. If the calf is unconscious get a veteri- narian as soon as possible and have him inject hypo- dermically 1/20 grain of Lobeline Sulphate, and repeat this treatment in one hour if necessary. After recovery do not give any feed for at least 24 hours, and in no case should feeding be commenced until you are satisfied as to the state of the bowels. For three or four weeks fed equaf parts of whole milk and water (as it was the casein in the milk that Lad formed the curds). It is also well to feed one part CALF BARN HORN TRAINERS Calves from Birth until Two Years 15 of lime water, to seven or eight parts of the whole milk and water, and for the first few days give also one teaspoonful of essence of pepsin in the milk at each feeding. In addition to the above, the foUowiag is a list of common ailments with their remedies. The latter should be kept on hand in a medicine closet hung up in a convenient place in the calf barns, to be used for mild cases, and also for emergency cases when the veterinarian cannot be secured at once. Bloat. } teaspoonful formaldehyde in one cup of milk. Follow shortly with | teaspoonful of baking soda in warm water. Cold or Pneumonia. 4 tablespoons whiskey, 1 tablespoon sweet spirits of nitre. Cold and Fever Above 102.5. One five-grain Aspirin tablet twice a day. High Temperature, 1 teaspoonful of epsom salts in four ounces of warm water, 3 times a day. Eczema, Loss of hair, Scabs. 1 tablespoonful of sulphur to four of lard; rub externally. Fits, Convulsions. See description above for treatment of curd in stomach. Scours and Bloody Discharge. § teaspoonful of Salol, | teaspoonful of Subnitrate of Bismuth in milk. Sour Stomach. 2 teaspoons of milk of magnesia in two pounds of milk, or 1 part of lime water to seven parts of milk. Sore Eyes. Wash with Boric Acid solution (1 ounce to 1 quart of boiling water; apply when cold). Toxic condition of the Bowels. Saline injection (2 teaspoons of salt in 2 quarts of warm water), also give f teaspoon Creolin Parson in 1 cup of milk. Vomiting. 2 teaspoons of essence of pepsin in milk 3 times a day. If the calf does not clean up with relish the scheduled amount of milk, reduce the amount to one half at the next feeding, and gradually increase the amount as the appetite returns. 16 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle The chief difficulty that feeders are likely to have with calves is indigestion, and in raising calves, as in other matters, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and especially in the matter of feed- ing and attention to sanitary conditions is this the rule. The preventive measures in feeding are, first: do not over-feed ; second : do not feed too rich milk. Most calf men who have had good results in raising calves will attribute a large share of their success to their attention to these two factors. Aim to keep the young calf growing and in a vigorous, thrifty, but lean condition. During the first six months our ob- ject is to build bone and muscle for a good frame, and to develop the barrel for large capacity give plenty of good hay. We can add 100 pounds to the body weight after we get the foundation built. It is almost impossible to tell whether a calf is being over-fed or under-fed unless the quantity of feed is either weighed or measured. If not controlled, a calf will drink two or three times the quantity that is good for it, with disastrous results eventually. It is very necessary that all the stalls, mangers, feed and water pails, stanchions, etc., be cleaned and scalded daily; this is also a preventive measure on which it is well worth while to spend a little extra time. The health of the calf will also be better if it is given a bath every day, not with soap and water, but with the curry-comb and brush. The bedding and stalls should always be dry and clean. Do not give alfalfa or clover hay until the calf is six months old. Feed a good mixed timothy and field grasses if possible, and all that the calf wants. WINTER PASTURE SCENE SUMMER YARDING SYSTEM Calves from Birth until Two Years 17 A legume hay is likely to encourage scours, and with skim milk the calf gets sufficient mineral matter for the first six months. Fresh air and sunlight are two essentials. Where possible the King system of ventilation should be used. The next best thing is to have the windows hinged at the bottom, so that when they are open galvanized cheeks will cover the sides and the fresh air will come in over the top. Have plenty of win- dows and do not be afraid to keep them open. Sumviier management. — Follow the feeding sched- ule until the calf is about six weeks old, and at that time move it to the summer yarding system, which is a row of houses and yards, one for each calf. Each house is raised about six inches above the ground and placed on runners so that it can be easily moved to a new location. The floor is of tight con- struction and slanting so that it will drain to an outlet in one corner. The inside of the house need not be finished off, but the sharp comers of the up- rights should be rounded, and always kept freshly whitewashed. A space of about 12 inches just under the roof should be left open in the back of each house for ventilation. A rack is made for the water pail and feed boxes, about 18 inches above the floor, and arranged so that these can be removed for cleaning. The door opening is fitted with a Dutch door, which is used only in early spring. When the young calves are first turned out they do not know enough to go into the houses and must be locked in every night and during heavy storms, until they have learnt to go in of their own accord. The most convenient 18 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle fencing is a hurdle fence built in eight foot sections and removable. In one comer of the yard a hay rack is built of two inch strips placed vertically about five inches apart. This prevents the hay from spreading around the yard and wasting. The calves are kept in these yards during the period that they are being fed on skim mUk, and the yards are in use from early spring until late fall. The fresh air and exercise that the calves get in this way prepares them for a more confined winter. It is advisable to change the small yards at least once during the summer. This can be done very easily by changing the fences to the opposite side of the houses. After the yards have been used for three or four months the ground gets sour and stale. The calves will nibble at the dirt, and this may cause scours or in- digestion, which, while not fatal, will retard their growth. When the yards have been changed, the old yard should be plowed, limed and reseeded. When the calves are about six months old they are transferred to a pasture lot and allowed to run around together. There should be plenty of shade and one or two open sheds in this lot, for shelter. Winter management. — The same feeding schedule is used in both summer and winter. The calves are also started in separate box stalls as in the sum- mer but remain in these stalls until they are three months old, at which time they are moved to the calf barn stalls and either fastened in the stanchions, which are adjustable and can be regu- lated to five different sizes, or tied with halter and Calves from Birth until Two Years 19 rope. They are kept in these stanchions until in the spring the weather is sufficiently warm to turn them out on pasture. Fresh air and exercise are just as important in the winter as in the summer — fresh air all the time and exercise at least once a day. On clear days when the ground is hard the calves should be turned out in an exercising yard and allowed to romp and kick out their legs. The length of time for them to re- main out will depend upon the temperature. Do not let them get over-chiUed. For stormy weather when they cannot safely be turned out of doors there is usually an empty barn floor of sufficient size to turn the calves loose or, if possible, an exercising shed with dirt floor, plenty of sunlight and good ventilation should be used. In turning them out do not simply unfasten the stanchions and let them run out alone, but lead each calf out with a rope ; they soon get so that they will go anywhere wilhngly. There is nothing meaner or harder to manage than a cow or bull that has never been halter broken. It adds greatly to the appearance of an animal, and in many cases adds to the value, if the horns are symmetrical. If trainers are improperly used, or none used at all, many cows will develop horns shaped like a steer's, or horns that shoot straight out sideways. If the trainers are properly used the horns can be formed in any shape desired. The trainers should be put in place when the horns are from one to two inches long, but not before 20 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle the horns are set; to make sure of this work the horns with your fingers. If you can work them around like a loose tooth, wait a little longer before applying the trainers. After they have been at- tached tighten them every day, so that the tips of the horns that extend beyond the trainer are drawn almost at right angles to the base of the horns. When this has been accomplished, remove the trainer. After the horn has grown two or three inches longer, if it does not seem to be turning in at the proper angle, bore small holes through the horns near the tips and connect them with a double piece of bale wire. This wire should be tightened often enough to eventually draw the tips closer together. If the horns are turning up too much, wrap a piece of sheet lead around the wires, the weight of which tends to draw the horns down, then get busy with the file and sandpaper to smooth off the rough spots and angles. Heifers from six months old until calving, — The heifer calves from early spring until late fall are kept on pasture all the time. If grass is plentiful they wiU not require very much of anything else to eat. We keep a small rack full of alfalfa hay ac- cessible to the calves, and also give them a small quantity of the calf ration each day, just enough to keep them in good condition. A little salt is sprinkled in the feed, and they always have access to fresh water. In the winter the heifers are kept in stanchions and are exercised daily. They are fed 2 or 3 pounds of calf ration and from 8 to 12 pounds of silage, to- ^i " k* CALF EIGHT MONTHS OLD CALF NURSING WITH BOTTLE *.*■'•, ,, Calves from Birth until Two Years 21 gether with all the hay that they will consume. The condition of the heifers should be watched just as closely as that of the young calves. Great care should be taken in changing the heifers from winter quarters to pasture. It will pay to wait until the grass has a good start, the weather is settled, and the ground is dry, before turning them out. The change should be made gradually, starting with a few minutes only and leaving the animals out a little longer each day, until at the end of two weeks they can be left out altogether. During this time gradually decrease the grain and roughage until they are being fed as above. The heifers are bred to freshen when they are about two years old. When they are 18 months of age their grain is changed from calf ration to dry cow ration, and at this time begin to put on the finishing touches, not only for calving, but for the first milk test. The quantity of grain to feed de- pends upon the condition of the animal and the amount of fat on her body. We always have a cow somewhat over normal weight at the time of calving. The first few months she will lose most of this sur- plus fat, and from then on should at least hold her normal weight. It is very noticeable that a fresh cow in poor flesh, even though known to be a high producer, will not do justice to herself. Up to the age of two years, a heifer raised by this method will consume, in addition to pasturage, the following: Whole Milk, 230 pounds; Skim Milk, 1846 pounds; Hay, 1400 pounds; Grain, 1000 pounds; Silage, 2000 pounds. 22 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle In selecting cows for our herd we select the best for both production and type. We know that if a calf is neglected or has had setbacks, she wiU not develop to the best cow for either production or type, so why should we not, whether it is for our own or some other herd, pay close attention to de- tails, and raise the best calf possible, one that will pay for itself in the shortest possible time? Shipping Calves By Express. — We very seldom ship calves that are less than three months old, as there is a greater risk in shipping them under this age. We want to be sure that the calf has a good start and is accustomed to eating grain. Once they have reached this stage, the calves can be shipped almost anywhere unaccompanied, if they are in good condition and properly crated, with instructions for their feed and care. The accompanying illustration is a diagram of the crate that we use. It is built very strong but not excessively heavy. The back of the crate is closed, after the calf is in, by dropping the back boards from the top through openings slightly larger than the boards, which, when in place, fit snugly in a pocket in the floor. They are held firmly by a bolt fastened with a thumb screw, so that if for any reason it should be necessary to remove the calf during transit the thumb screw could be taken off and the slats removed by lifting from the top. In the front there is a door, with metal or leather strap hinges, large enough to admit a pail for water and grain. The floor should be well supplied with bedding. Calves from Birth until Two Years 23 With each crate we ship one pail, one bag of feed and one bag of hay. The feed should be a calf ration that will keep the bowels in good condition, and the instructions for feeding should be for about one half or two thirds of the usual amount fed. The calf will not suffer except from hunger if it is under- fed for a few days during shipment, but overfeeding may result seriously. If the calf is being fed skim milk this can be discontinued until the arrival at its destination ; the grain, hay and water will supply its wants during transit. A letter of instructions is mailed before the calf is shipped, so that upon its arrival the buyer will know just how it has been fed. We tack two or three cards on each crate with the following instructions for the express agent. Please feed me as follows: Morning .... Grain one pint. Water all I want. Hay what I will clean up. Noon Water Night Grain one pint. Water .... all I want. Hay what I will clean up. Calf Schedule Let calf remain with mother not over twenty-four hours after born. Feed calf mother's milk for the first ten days, as follows: 2 lbs. whole milk and ^ pound skim milk three times a day; feed milk at temperature of 98 degrees and weigh the milk. After the first ten days, feed the regular herd nulk and gradually increase to about 4 pounds to a feed, twice a day, at the end of fifteen days, mixing 24 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle as follows: 3| pounds whole milk, ^ pound skim milk; feed this amount until skim milk is substi- tuted at from four to six weeks old, depending upon the progress of the calf, the change to be made grad- ually (about one week). During this time the calf will begin to eat hay and some grain. Do not feed alfalfa or clover to young calves; feed only mixed timothy and field grasses until six months old. 5 lbs. skim milk to a feed, when 8 weeks old. l( << (( 11 <( < « (( It 11 11 (< <( (< « ( iC It tt tl tt tt tl tt tl tt tt It tt II tt tt tl tl tt tl 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Feed all of the grain that calf will clean up with relish, between milk feedings, until six months old. After that feed two or three pounds of the following ration per day until eighteen months old: Parts hy weight Com Meal 3 Groxmd Oats 3 Wheat Bran 1 Oil Meal 1 Pay close attention to details. When the calf shows signs of scouring, cut down feed supply, in particular the amount of milk in half. If sudden attack, take all of the milk away for a feed or two, and give Castor Oil, 1 to 3 ozs. in a pint of milk (according to size of calf). CRATE FOR SHIPPING CALVES PASTURE SHOWING OPEN SHEDS Calves from Birth until Two Years 25 Give warm water to drink two or three times per day after the third week. Exercise the calves every- day. Lead bull calves every day. Pails, mangers, and feed boxes should be cleaned and sterilized every day. Wash calf's navel with Iodine a short while after calf is born. Sprinkle a httle salt in feed once each day. In the winter do not have temperature in calf barn above 50 degrees, and always keep the ventilators wide open. CHAPTER III Feeding FACTORS essential to milk production. — In order to secure the maximum results in the pro- duction of milk, other conditions being equal, it is essential to pay due attention to the following three factors, in addition to selection and breeding : First, the best possible ration. Second, the judgment and ability of the feeder. Third, the thoroughness and efficiency of the milkers. We shall not get the best results if any of these factors fall short of the highest standard. They can be compared to a fleet of several battleships that are steaming away at sea, closely followed by the enemy. One of the ships does not have the speed of the others, so the six faster ones have to hold back for the slower one. We may have a good ration and good milkers, but if the feeder uses poor judgment, the production may be held back on account of this one factor that falls short of the standard. Worse than this, the neglect of that one factor may cause udder trouble, sick cows, weak calves, and shy breeders. If we were to look closely into the history 26 mmmi^ Feeding 27 of some exceptional records of mUk production, we should find that they have been gained by sacri- ficing good cows and even an entire herd, so far as breeding is concerned. It is not the cow that makes 60 or 70 or 80 pounds of milk per day, for the first week or month, that wins out, but the one that strikes her true average, and holds it all through the 12 months of her test. Records are made during the last few months of the test. The best feed. — The ideal feed is a balanced ration that will produce the maximum amount of mUk and butter fat, per dollar invested, and at the same time keep the cow in good condition. It is hard to suggest a grain ration that would suit every locality, as the conditions differ so widely. The ration that we have used to produce our Register of Merit records is as follows: 100 pounds Com Meal (or Hominy Meal) 100 pounds Groimd Oats. 100 pounds Wheat Bran. 75 pounds Linseed oil meal. 50 pounds Cottonseed Meal. 30 pounds Gluten Meal. 60 pounds dried Beet-pulp. In addition to this, use soiling crops, silage, roots and alfalfa hay. The grain ration is elastic, and is so adjusted that the nutritive ratio will always remain about the same. For instance in the fall of the year when we change from a legume soiling crop to corn silage we thereby increase the amount of carbo- hydrates in the total ration, and to maintain about the same N. R. as before we increase the protein in 28 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle the grain ration, by increasing the amount of Oil Meal and Cottonseed Meal. Our N. R. varies with the feed given to different cows, running from 1 :4.5 to 1 : 5.2, according to the condition and requirements of the individual. If you are sure that you have selected a good grain ration there are no advantages to be gained by changing it, unless a certain grain has advanced in price beyond its value as a feed, and a good substitute can be found. On the other hand if you have proved by experiment that you can better your results by changing the ration, it would be folly not to do so. Get a good ration and stick to it. In order to ascertain the proper proportion of each feed to use in balancing a ration, we should be familiar with the analysis of the different feeds, and the requirements, for the anunals, of the different elements contained in these feeds. The dairy cow needs its feed primarily for two purposes : First, for body maintenance. Second, for the production of milk. A comparison of the utili- zation of the feed given to (1) a good cow, and (2) a poor cow, is as follows : (1) Good cow, Maintenance Milk production 35% of ration. 65% of ration. (2) Poor cow, Maintenance Milk production 55.8% of ration. 44.2% of ration. According to Wolff's feeding standard, the dry matter and digestible nutrients required for main- tenance and production are as follows: Feeding 29 Digestible Milk cows when yielding daily 27.5 pounds Dry matter, pounds Protein, pounds Carbohydrates + UatX2.25) pounds Total pounds Nutritive ratio milk 32 24 3.3 2.5 14.8 13.4 18.1 15.9 1:4.5 average milk cows 1:5.4 Digestible nutrients in one pound of various feed- ing stuffs: Kind of Food ^^^^ ^^y ^^^^ ^^^^^_ Cured roughage Matter Protein hydrates Fat Fodder Corn (drilled) 76 .037 .41 .015 Corn Stover 59 .014 .31 .007 Sorghum Fodder 50 .024 .32 .016 Millet 86 .050 .47 .011 Timothy 87 .028 .43 .014 Red Top 91 .048 .47 .010 Prairie (upland) .87 .03 .42 .014 Prairie (mixed) 84 .029 .41 .012 Prairie (swale) 86 .026 .42 .011 Barley Hay 85 .057 .44 .01 Oat Hay 86 .047 .37 .017 Pea Hay 90 .080 .41 .017 Cow Pea Hay 89 .058 .39 .013 Soy Bean Hay 88 .106 .41 .012 White Clover Hay 90 .115 .42 .015 Red Clover Hay 85 .071 .38 .012 Alsike Clover Hay 90 .084 .42 .015 Alfalfa Hay 94 .117 ,41 .01 Wheat Straw 90 .008 .35 .004 Oat Straw 91 .013 .39 .008 Barley Straw 86 .009 .40 .006 Kafir Forage 48 .009 .26 .011 Oat and Pea Hay 89 .076 .41 .015 Oat and Vetch 85 .083 .36 .013 30 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle Total Dry Crude Carbo- Silage Matter Protein hydrates Fat Com 26 .012 .14 .007 Sorghum 24 .001 .13 .002 Clover 28 .020 .13 .010 Alfalfa 27 .030 .08 .019 Cow Pea 21 .015 .09 .009 Soy Bean 26 .027 .09 .013 Pea Cannery Refuse 23 .021 .13 .008 Corn Cannery Refuse 21 .003 .12 .006 Roots and Tvhers Carrots 11 .008 .08 002 Potato 21 .011 .16 001 Sugar Beet 13 .013 .10 .001 Common Beet 11 .012 .08 .001 Mangel 09 .010 .05 .002 Rutabaga 11 .010 .08 .002 Flat Turnip 10 .009 .06 .001 Wet Beet Pulp 10 .005 .08 .000 Concentrates (Ground Grains and By-prodiids) Corn 89 .079 .67 .43 Barley 89 .087 .65 .016 Oats 90 .107 .50 .038 Wheat 89 .088 .67 .015 Wheat Bran 88 .119 .42 .025 Flour Wheat Middlings 90 .17 .54 .041 Wheat Shorts 89 .130 .46 .045 Red Dog Flour 90 .162 .57 .034 Emmer (Speltz) 92 .10 .70 .02 Corn and Cob Meal 85 .044 .60 .029 Kaffir Corn 90 .052 .44 .014 Sorghum Seed 87 .045 .61 .028 Buckwheat Bran 92 .059 .34 .02 Buckwheat Middlings 87 .227 .37 .061 Rye Bran 88 .112 .47 .020 Rye Middlings 88 .110 .53 .026 Millet 88 .071 .48 .025 Hominy Feed 90 .068 .60 .074 Com Oil Meal 91 .158 .39 .108 Bean Meal 89 .202 .42 .013 Feeding 31 Cow-Pea Meal 85 Soy Bean Meal 88 Gluten Feed 91 Gluten Meal 90 Linseed Meal 90 Cottonseed Meal 93 Flaxseed 91 Tankage 930 Brewers Grain-Dry 91 Malt Sprouts 90 Distillery Grains, dry 92 Dried Beet Pulp 92 Fresh Green Roughage Com, fodder, all analyses 219 Sweet com fodder before milk stage , 100 Com Stover, Green ears removed . 227 Sugar Cane 217 Bluegrass, Kentucky, all analyses .316 Brome Grass, smooth 330 Millet, Hungarian 276 Mixed Grasses Mixed Grasses, immature 297 Rye Grass, Italian 271 Rye Grass, perennial 266 Timothy, all analyses 375 Oat fodder 261 Oat fodder, 8 in. high . .*. 130 Rye fodder 213 Rye fodder, 5 in. high 181 Wheat fodder, aU analyses 274 Alfalfa, aU analyses 253 Clover, Alsike 243 Clover, crimson 174 Clover, red, all analyses 262 Cowpeas 163 Peas, field, Canada 166 Soybeans, all analyses 236 Velvet bean 179 Vetch, common 204 Vetch, hairy , 181 .168 .55 .011 .291 .23 .146 .213 .53 .029 .297 .42 .061 .302 .32 .069 .376 .21 .096 .206 .17 .290 .501 .00 .116 .200 .32 .060 .203 .46 .014 .228 .40 .116 .041 .65 .000 .010 .128 .004 .008 .061 .002 .005 .120 .002 .004 .123 .006 .023 .148 .006 .029 .150 .002 .019 .148 .006 .036 .145 .009 .018 .127 .007 .017 .125 .007 .015 .193 .006 .023 .118 .008 .034 .041 .005 .021 .122 .005 .051 .62 .007 .028 .151 .006 .033 .104 .004 .027 .118 .004 .023 .081 .004 .027 .130 .006 .023 .080 .003 .029 .071 .003 .032 .102 .005 .027 .072 .004 .027 .089 .003 .035 .081 .004 32 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle Mixed legumes and grasses Clover and mixed grasses 273 .022 .141 , 006 Cowpeas and Corn 200 .013 .114 .003 Cowpeas and Oats 218 .033 .091 .006 Cowpeas and sorghum 187 .007 .100 . 003 Peas and miUet 197 .019 .084 .008 Peas and Barley 202 .027 .088 .005 Peas and Oats 226 .024 .106 .006 Peas, oats and Rape 179 .023 .073 .005 Soybeans and Com 238 .017 .136 .006 Soybeans and Kafirl 171 .009 .079 .004 Vetch and Barley 200 .021 . 105 .002 Vetch and Oats 265 .028 .133 .004 Vetch and Wheat 227 .024 .122 .003 The other requirements of a ration are : 1. It must contain sufficient food nutrients in the right proportion, which means the correct pro- portion of dry matter, protein and carbohydrates. The ratio of protein to carbohydrates is commonly- spoken of as the "nutritive ratio," thus, to say that the nutritive ratio of a given feed is 1: 5.4 means that there is one part of protein to 5.4 parts of carbo- hydrates in the feed. 2. It must have sufficient bulk. Hence the use of roughage, etc. • 3. It must be palatable. Aids in this direction are the addition of Molasses water, Beet-Pulp, Salt, Moistening, Steaming, etc. 4. There must be a certain degree of variety. This is ensured by using a variety, or mixture of several feeds. 5. Cows require succulent food. (Silage, Soiling Crops, Wet Beet-Pulp, Molasses, Roots, etc.) 6. The feed must be economical. This does not mean that a cheap feed is to be used. Feeding 33 7. There must be a certain amount of ash (Min- eral Matter) in the food, (Alfalfa, Bran, etc.) 8. The cows also require salt and water in their food. We now know, according to the above standards, the feed requirements for the average milk cow, the analyses of the feeds, and the other requirements of a balanced ration. The next step is to determine the feeds to use, according to their availability, making use of home-grown feeds as far as possible. As an example we will select the feeds mentioned for the test ration on page 34, for a cow that is milk- ing 25 pounds a day. We make a list of the feed (see test ration, page 34), and so proportion the weights of grain that the total weight will be 10.3 pounds, which is the average portion fed to each cow daily in addition to the roughage. We then refer to the table (Page 29) and figure the amounts of dry matter, protein and carbohydrates plus fat that are contained in each feed, and enter the amounts in the correct columns. In adding these columns we find that we have 24.79 pounds of dry matter, 3.066 pounds of protein, 12.518 pounds of carbohydrates, and 1.442 pounds of fat. This latter is converted into the equivalent weight of carbo- hydrates by multiplying by 2.25, and the result 3.244 is added to the carbohydrates, making the total 15.762 pounds. We then find by dividing that our nutritive ratio is 1 part of protein to 5.14 parts of carbohydrates. The carbohydrate content is slightly higher than the Wolff standard, but as this is a winter ration it is purposely thus proportioned on 34 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle account of the severe weather in our locality, and the necessity of the cows having to furnish more body heat to keep them warm. Pounds Feed Dry Matter Protein Carbohydrates Fat 2 Corn Meal 1.780 .158 1.34 .86 2 Ground Oats 1.80 .214 1.00 .076 2 Wheat Bran 1.76 .238 .84 .050 1.5 Oil Meal 1.35 .453 .48 .103 1 Cottonseed M .93 .376 .210 .096 .6 Gluten Feed .546 .127 .318 .017 1.2 Beet Pulp, dry 1.104 .049 .780 .000 ioTs 10 Alfalfa Hay 9.40 1.170 4.10 .10 1 Beet Pulp .92 .041 .65 .000 20 Corn Silage 5.20 .240 2.80 .140 24.790 3.066 12.518 1.442 3.244 2| 15.762 3.244 15.762 = 5. 14 = nutritive ratio. 3.066 After you have thoroughly studied the methods of balancing a ration, see if you can work out correctly the nutritive ratio of the above ration without refer- ring to the analysis of the feeds as worked out on this chart, but write the name and weights of the different feeds, and figure your analyses from the chart (page 29). After this has been successfully accomplished, figure the Nutritive Ratio for summer use, by sub- stituting for the corn silage. Oat and Pea hay cut green, as a soiling crop. Also, reduce the oil meal and cottonseed meal, as the Oat and Pea hay con- tain more protein in proportion than the corn silage. It also improves the ration to increase the gluten Feeding 35 BROCMCWOC© FARMS JERSEY HERD B19K MILK SB>URKS »l_ «--«« : N<». Bv«nlos TomJ fof Day AOQBSOATB Ui. lotb* Ua. lOUa Lbs. inta Lbs. KJtb. TOTA I. ¥•' ^ Lta. imtai :f.i U < 12 s U £ 60 2 99 2 ¥•' « 8 11 6 U e 46 4 147 6 3f.« 12 S 12 6 11 5 49 6 19?"' * ^« is a 11 12 3 4» 4 S4£ *» V-« u e 18 4 12 4 50 9 29? 4 ¥•< u 7 li 2 It ' El 8 349 i ■ yg.i 12 ) is 2 12 49 * 3>S » » 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 IJ I« 19 20 21 22 23 24 2S 26 27 2S 29 30 31 Total UUk te Hooth A. Tobis r^ 1 J.709 9 2612 6 5 71 97 2 , 148 9 Am. 31 1652 4264 5 6 78 95 4 9 244 8 9 Wb. 28 1361 B6£S 5 6 09 82 8 8 327 2 7 ■«.. SI 14T6 7 no2 ?, P 87 W If fl 4V 9 5 kfT. SO 1446 7 8550 9 ff S3 M 4 6 490 4 1 Kajr. n J MostUr Avenges 1 Remaria: Yearly Milk Record Forms 38 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle reached her safety point, and (2) To reduce, or take the feed entirely away from the cow at the first least sign of a drop in milk, or of being off feed. We may, by the way of illustration, consider first of all the case of a cow that by forcing would give 55 pounds of milk per day. She may hold that level for one week or one month, but is being forced over the safety point of feeding, and the break in pro- duction is sure to come. It would be best in this case to hold the cow at 52 or 53 pounds per day by giving less feed. She would then have a much better chance to hold this average for four or five months, and, as she advances in lactation period, to show a slow, gradual decrease in milk flow. There is no doubt but that the amount of feed given greatly influences the production, but after a certain amount has been consumed, further increase of feed ceases to augment the flow. We have proved to our own satisfaction, with a cow that was apparently milking very well but seemed to be fed too heavily, that reducing her feed a pound or two resulted in absolutely no drop in production, and in some in- stances it has even resulted in an increase in milk flow on the lessened amount of grain. Which dem- onstrates that big yearly records are not made by cramming the cow with feed, but by liberal feeding, the ability of the cow to transform that feed into milk, and the ability and judgment of the feeder in catching her at the safety point, and holding her level. As a second illustration, a cow has been holding her level of production, but shows a drop in pro- Feeding 39 duction on a certain day, of three or fovr pounds below her usual average. Of course it is hard for a feeder to see his cow giving less milk, as he is greatly interested in having her make a good test ; so, being overanxious, instead of taking one half or all of the feed away, he tries to jolly her along, and pos- sibly gives her more grain to bring her back, and knocks her completely off. A cow that is slightly off condition, or shows by other symptoms that she is getting ready for a drop in milk, will always give warning. If the feeder is experienced and watchful, he will detect these warnings, and usually catch the cow in time to prevent the drop. There are some cases, however, that come on suddenly and practi- cally without warning, such as toxemia, a protein poisoning or form of auto-intoxication. This occurs frequently in cows that are on test and where the feeder inadvertently oversteps the safety point. The symptoms are almost identical with those of milk fever, and the treatment is the same. About four hours after recovery from the acute symptoms there is a rise in temperature to about 105 degrees, and the pulse is very rapid. At this time the cow should have treatment to relieve these conditions. This milk chart illustrates how these warnings can be detected. Each square from left to right represents one day, each square from bottom to top a pound of milk. The sheet should be long enough for one year or 365 squares, and deep enough to com- pare four cows together. The cow represented by the heavy line has made an exceptionally good record, and before the results of the other cows are 40 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle recorded, we insert this one complete for the year in red ink; then each day we enter the other three, one in a solid black line, one a dotted line, and the third by dot and dash. Each break of over two pounds we consider as a warning. It is not always the sign of a break, but the sign to watch the cow very closely. The next day she may strike her average, 7 r— ^ t7 n !1 IK r / ^ / N / ^ k / ^ / / N / \ /■ / cow u ^ / N !^ BO 2 / ■v / \ f » ^ ^ ■ " \ / \ /' — Jn f- ^ '- \ / ■A / / *». -. ■ ' \ ■- Cow , --*: \, / a A I / / a s / / „ ^ \ / w \ r 1? \ /^ m \ y 17 \ s »f \ M \ Kl \ / S2 ^l / \ ^ SI \ / >l) M'^X'k Chart Shoioing Comparison of Four Cows on test Emphasizing the Importance of the "Safety Point" but should she go down still more the second day, it is time for action. As an example of the use of the chart, cow No. 1 has completed a very good test, and her milk scale has been marked on the chart for the whole year, to be used as a comparison. Cow No. 4 has been milking very well, but has been fed or forced a little over the safety point. On the third day the feeder had warning to watch her, and on the fourth, notice to take action. The feeder, being overanxious, took action the wrong way by Feeding 41 increasing the feed, which resulted in a large salient in the chart. Cow No. 3 on the second day gave warning. In this case the feeder paid heed to that warning and watched her very closely. On the morning of the third day he took action by with- drawing most of the feed and giving a dose of epsom salts. On this day she lost about two pounds more of milk, but on the fourth and fifth days she about held her own, showing that the feeder had her under control. With a slight increase in feed each day she gradually came back to her true level, but never received as much feed as she had been getting previous to the break. The number of squares be- tween the lines representing No. 3 and No. 4 cows, show the pounds of milk that would have been saved, had better judgment been used. The best method and display of judgment, however, was used on cow No. 2. She had reached a good level and could have averaged possibly 2 or 3 pounds more per day by forcing, but he held her at her safety point, being willing to sacrifice a short high milking period for a long steady one, and finally a larger total production. Some cows are higher producers than others. The poorest cow in the herd will not under the best of conditions give over a certain amount of milk, which is usually far less than the average herd production. She has demonstrated, if we have been watchful, that she has reached the limit of her production, and probably does not pay for her keep. On the other hand the best cow may not produce much more than the limit of the poorest if there is a break in the 42 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle efficiency of our combination of feed, feeder and milker. A heifer that does not make good the first year deserves another trial, as the chances are that she will do better later on, but a cow four or five years old that does not pay for her keep is just as bad as milking a good cow into a leaky bucket. The cows are fed as iadividuals and not as a herd, so that the requirements and the likes and dislikes of each individual cow must be studied. The prac- tice of wheeling the feed cart down the passage in front of the mangers, guessing the amount of feed required by each cow and throwing it in with a scoop, is not only wasteful but it is not fair to the cow. Some cows will get more than their actual needs, and some less. One-quarter of a pound more or less seems hardly enough to bother about, but in a herd it will amount to quite an item in a few months' time. If the cow is getting overfat on the feed that she is consuming, we first reduce her allowance a little. If this causes a reduction in milk flow we go back to the original amount, and narrow the ration by sub- stituting possibly a little more oil meal, or if the cow is getting thin we either increase the amount, or widen the ration by adding more Corn Meal. She may like her feed either dry or sloppy, or she may like her silage and beet-pulp fed separate better than mixed with the grain. Most cows, however, form the habit of being served a certain way, and it is the ex- ception rather than the rule to have to do more than either widen or narrow the ration, or increase or lessen the amount. fe o Q s a ' -^ f i-iei^Ofc .2 ^ '*-' SK oq 0£ i ,_! dj 5D 3§ t^ ^ Z 73 "g U- ^ s fe '"-' < d l3 o MI\i Feeding 45 persistent. After the completion of the test, the cows are dried up. We then commence feeding dry cow ration, the quantity depending upon the weight and condition of the cow at this time, the feed ranging from two to ten pounds per day, also several pounds of corn silage, and all of the hay that she will clean up within a reasonable time. About two weeks before freshening, her feed is gradually reduced, so that the last four or five days she receives only two or three pounds of bran mash per day, and hay as before. At the first sign of calving she is given a dose of epsom salts. The management of the cow at calving time is described in the chapter on calf raising. After calving and for the first two days the cow is given warm water to drink, and, in addition to all of the hay that she will eat, 2 or 3 pounds of warm bran mash. After the second day start feeding the regular milk ration, about 3 or 4 pounds daily, and increase by from | to 1 pound per day for the next six days. Continue feeding this amount for five days or more without an increase. Then if she is doing well increase about ^ pound daily until you think the safety point has been reached. This amount should be continued for several days, and then reduced about 1 pound to determine whether she is consuming more grain than is necessary to hold her level. The silage and beet-pulp should also be gradually increased with the grain. The cow is started on test the fourth day after calving, and from this time on we use the feeding 46 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle wioMT»i*UL-- -gwTiM-n.u'^ pcw05r« _Nrt WOT *aggJMi a rJiaj Reduced Facsimile of Double Page Feeding 47 ■ — ■ 1 .T£it.E«a5.J*2«.?o J.,/ -97 ioc OTJ^ il5 ^Of? VAU« 4>.>4 7 ■■r '4t f ^ 2- 3^3 COiT"«L». "« .«>f, ■«f» :6y J^ol 8t». ^li TL7 /3./0 tk 4j /^ 2 ilii ./a .1" /L ■Hi •rti Y- 3. nj L.cc J3 f-S" I _ /7 ^ ■s- 'Tbrr ^■>.< TV'/ Uv- 3lC lf.S->' 2.15 no^i V^LUE I'^-yo y. / 7 i r^q coarpcRLB ^>% V- .,!■/* .oy- r-fl 7f" i-H-^ /j ■a. /'y ZV ■X. S^3 1 .10 'V« /■rtf ^ ^'t /P If 2, f/£ i,>i> r^ 4»t 1^ c ^9 fi / TOWLOWT /yj» Vy" 1-^ i.-u> ^-=■7 Wlue ■lf>o fttOWT ^fw sy, SfM !* 7 f »i ',-, T-Y 2 i sn ^« 7/y (.> SJO i,r4 2.15 'iUi<, \/aluc ?u^ 2 s ,-j 2-r CA^TPOtLS Z7>^ 02'/f .e-y 1..J' Ot.^ 7trA 'tTcd' r^is- 7 ^ <-;/, i( ' ' i./ia PhlCE ' ,0 f'-^ 'l' l.< •n.f 'Y f -f r^yo 1 b If j^ ^ J" -tf..? f-f4 *7> rr >,ro nil 2.{S /3C1.0 VALim La 30 f-j 1..T ¥rt '7 If 2-5- COTrPCRLB .tn% ^f. u 0T3 6i.3.0 ,L ?1' 7.«- I--!- .'if,' i.sn K) I i. 1^ ,'-f 7.< Ilf4 i.iy Vai,ue 63. 3p pv^t' ■^O.SII i-c^ fi-ft /y i-¥ ?-.f <7^ /-J T/ IS f^l .T27 Y(M ~U ^/O i>/!t/1 Z.IS V747 if if Jify COST PER LA .>*, C l»% ov *,«/? iri'f •«r ■^st /7 7.< A ^'4 7 ,T in ^^7 ID t'l /r ■^ 2.5- («>^ it^ 9i /ae ^r- 9k /0/7 To t-f-Sle ^nwe tiuy Pnv^ Li4.-¥ ^■f ^f^ S'io Y'/y iJc ?on i4x>-y 2.15 .< C»rFnlLB ,:>% 'Zl r^f, Ot■/ l.< Ji.z r-ffC hn II ■^ l-f I'i >^' ^j ; ^ ^ KH) i>i yfc /C<) TttTALCOyr ll-o-y yfo l-iS (ffOO l-,?,77 Value t7,sf PWhttt •i.3.Li ,5r/J f'f-.Ui -i COSTPniA Ot». TCT^tCCST WtUK Pnenr l/^LPC COST PR U) I^AiT ■nmw-ccwT- VALUf Pac*^ — " 2.1J /-^-^we COSTfEtLe Ot,. r0TAi,CO6T VAtUE Pffomr ' 3.15 COSTPcnLB Ots Pr.cc; TOTAL MIT V^Luc Per^rT 2.15 Au;f CCSTPWU9 QT». "VI^ Value. Pko^j 215 i/mip CTO-WltB Ots ' PPlCE TOtALCOSr IAl>«: Paopn . -- - 1 _.^„ ©/ Feed Record Chart 48 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle chart/ It takes but a short time each day to keep it up to date, and experience will soon prove that the efficiency of the herd will be greatly in- creased through its use. The use of the chart is threefold : First, to de- termine the profitable and unprofitable cows in the herd, by the cost records of all feed consumed, and the value of the milk produced. Second, to de- termine the amounts to feed for the most econom- ical production, and, in official testing, the safety point or maximum amount of feed that it is safe to feed the cow, and still have her hold her level of production. Third, to determine the condition of the cow. To determine profitable and unprofitable cows in the herd. Four squares on the chart represent one day. The first square is for the total pounds of grain fed on that day. The second square is for the pounds of silage. The third square is for beet-pulp (which is usually soaked, in proportion by weight of three of water to one of pulp), and the fourth square is for the pounds of milk produced. The grain and silage are weighed on scales attached to the feed truck. The weight of hay is estimated by first weighing a sample of the average amount fed, and using that as a basis for the weights. If soiling crops or other feeds are used instead of silage of beet-pulp, these squares can be used for the other feeds. At the end of each month the totals are added on the line * See Feed Record Chart, published separately by Long m ans, Green & Co. Feeding 49 marked Totals, and carried forward to the space marked Total Pounds Fed. If accurate records are not available for the costs of home-grown feeds, the prices should be based on the market quotations. All costs should be reduced to the cost of one pound. Then multiply the total number of pounds fed by the cost of one pound, which gives the cost per month. These amounts are added in the column marked Total Cost of all Feed. This total is carried to the last column opposite the Hne marked Cost. The total number of pounds of milk produced during the month is entered in the column marked Total Pounds of Milk Produced. If milk is sold by the quart, divide the total pounds of milk by 2.15, the weight (in pounds) of one quart, to find the total quarts produced during the month. This multiplied by the selling price gives the value of the milk produced, which is entered in the last column marked Value. By subtracting the costs from the value, we get the net profit above the cost of feed, which is a fair way to compare and determine the profitable cows, as the labor conditions and wages paid in different localities vary so greatly. In starting the book every fifth page should be used for a different cow, so that there will be four pages for each one, to be used as a comparative feeding record for four years. To determine the amounts to feed for the most economical production. The following feeding schedule should be followed for the first fifteen days, provided the animal is in normal condition: 50 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle 1st day, 2 pounds warm bran mash. 2nd. ' < {( ( I (I « « 3rd. ' ( It I ' Bran, 2 pounds milk ration 4th. ' ' 4 ' milk ration. 5th. ' ' 5 ( (( (( 6th. ' ' 6 ( (( (f 7th. ' ' 7 ( « u 8th. ' ' 8 I It It 9th. ' ' 9 I It tt 9th. to 15th. day, 9 poimds milk ration. After the 15th day increase the amount of grain by one or one half pound at a time, and continue increasing as long as the increase in milk amounts to more than the cost of the additional grain fed, or untn the safety point in the amount of feed con- sumed has been reached. For instance, supposing one pound of grain costs 1^ cents, and milk is valued at 5 cents a pound, and supposing that by increasing the grain | pound, we obtain a gain of one pound in production; then we have gained 5 minus 1^ cents or 3§ cents by the increase. The results cannot be accurately determined by in- creasing the feed every day. There should be an interval of at least two days between successive in- creases. After the cow stops responding to an in- crease in feed, try lessening the amount, and note whether the cow will hold her level of production on the lessened amount of feed. The record of each individual cow is studied every morning, comparing the record of the day before with the previous days, to determine whether she will produce more milk or more economically, if the feed is increased or lessened. FEED TRUCK IMPORTED WHITIE (Winner of Gold Medal for production 1919, 12519 lbs of milk and 745.01 lbs. of butter fat) Feeding 51 To determine the condition of the cow. If the cow is off condition or is getting ready for a break in production, usually the first sign wUl be in the milk weights. In studying the chart daily this condition can be readily detected. If the cows show signs of going off, or dropping in production, reduce the feed accordingly, and return gradually to the normal amount. The following notes should be marked in the cor- responding squares whenever necessary as a record of the cause of any irregularity. (6) did not clean up. (c) cleaned up with molasses. (d) in heat. (e) Indigestion or bloat. (/) Dysentery. The chart as illustrated was started on the fifth day after freshening. The cow was fed 2 pounds of warm bran mash the day that the calf was dropped, the second day 3 pounds of bran mash, the third day 2 pounds of bran mash and two pounds of the regular milk ration. The fourth day 5 pounds of milk ration. The fifth day, which is the first day on the chart, 6 pounds of milk ration. From then on the increase was very gradual, the amounts being determined by the general condition of the cow, the way she relished her feed, and the quantity of mUk flow. We considered in this case that 55 pounds was her true level or safety point, and when she reached this mark we stopped increasing the feed. She was fed 17 pounds per day for 21 days and then raised to 52 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle 18 pounds per day. At the end of 10 days her feed was reduced to 17 pounds again, and it proved that she produced more milk on the lessened amount of grain. Her daily milk average for 148 days is 48 .9 pounds. She has never been off feed. Her highest day's milk was 62.1 pounds, and only four times since she reached 45 pounds per day has she milked below this figure. The average monthly profit above cost of feed was $24.82. I do not mean to imply that cows can be fed en- tirely by rule or chart, but our results have demon- strated that certain rules, charts and schedules are essential to the production of maximum results in feeding and caring for herds when used faithfully as a guide. Do not add to the ration anything that is against the test rules of the cattle association. The less medicine and stimulant the cow receives the better will be the results in the long run. Certain condi- tions that are not always under control will cause variations in the percentage of fat, such as changes in weather, or in milkers, the cow being in heat, or any other radical changes. All attempts to raise the fat percentage by other than natural methods, have been found in many experiments to be very costly. The farmer who has the requisite land and other conditions to raise most of his own feed is indeed fortunate. It is possible in some sections to raise practically all of the feed and still have a balanced ration. CHAPTER IV Feed and Caee of Bulls THE YOUNG buUs up to 18 months old are fed the same ration that the heifers receive, ex- cept that after the sixth month they are given a little more grain. After the sixth month they are not allowed to run with the heifers, but during the summer they are kept in the summer yarding system, and in the winter in box stalls. When the bull is about ten months of age a ring is placed in his nose, and he may now be used for light service, but the breeding schedules should be arranged so that the intervals will not be too frequent until after the eighteenth month. It will save much annoyance after the bull is mature, if he is led with a halter and rope for a short distance each day. An unruly, cross or vicious bull is usually the sign of bad bringing up, and re- flects on the breeder. The mature buU to be in the best breeding con- dition should be vigorous and quick, but not too fat. He is fed from two to six pounds of the regular milk ration, the amount depending upon the frequency of service and on his weight as compared to his normal weight when in ideal condition. He is also S3 54 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle given a small amount of silage or soiling crops, and all of the alfalfa hay that he will eat with relish. So many accidents have occurred with bulls that were loose in the pasture or box stall, that we believe in keeping him absolutely under control by not giving him his own freedom. The box stall or pens for bulls measure 14 by 14 feet. In the center of each pen is a buU post. It is an iron post Post for Tying Bull in Center of Box Stall imbedded at least two feet in concrete. The collar near the top works on ball bearings and revolves very freely. The tie chain is run through the ring in this collar and is either attached to a heavy halter on the bull, or else is fastened to the chain around his horns. On the other end is a lead weight just heavy enough to draw up the slack in the chain. The length of the chain is adjusted so that the bull can- not quite reach the outer partitions of his stall. By continually walking around this post he gets as much exercise as though he were loose. He is fed f ■ t" «l '' . ' .-Jl BULL TETHERED IN PASTURE Feed and Care of Bulls 55 in a manger built in one corner of the pen, and when he is moved the attendant does not take the chance of catching a loose bull, but coaxes him to the full length of the chain, and then fastens the staff to the ring in his nose. For fresh air and more exercise he is taken out daily and fastened to a tether in a good grassy- plot. He walks around within the circle of the chain's length, and when the grass is eaten 'i^:Cc ■.■.'•;;f<^ The stake is 2 ft. 6 in. long. The point and head should be very hard. The whole chain works around the collar very freely. The chain is about 6 ft. long, and has a swivel on each end to prevent tangling. A rope is fastened to the ring at the end of chain, run through the ring in his nose andjsnapped to the chain around his horns. Tether Chain off, the tether is removed to another spot. In winter when the weather is such that he can- not be tethered, he is taken for a walk of at least one mile. He should be exercised by one of these methods every day. If a buU has not the vigor or quickness or sureness that he should have, it is probably because his ration is too wide, or he does not get sufficient exercise. Bulls are just as apt to have periods of sterility as cows are to have spells of barrenness. We are satisfied that this system gives our bulls 56 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle plenty of exercise, and feel that it is better to be safe than sorry. The bulls at Brookwood Farms have always been fed the regular milk ration that is fed to the test cows, in amounts varying from two to six pounds a day, or just enough to keep them in good breeding condition and not fat. They also re- ceive a few pounds of silage or soiling crops daily, and all of the alfalfa hay that they will clean up with relish. Many farmers make it a custom to dispose of their herd bull when he is about three years old, but this is a great mistake, especially if he is producing good daughters. He should be kept in the herd as long as he maintains his breeding powers, and a second bull used to breed to his daughters. GOLDEN FERN'S NOBLE (Taking his morning setting-up exercises) fe?,»'-.i*ikik;,!. J. 't ^i^* ^iA. jjat^::iisMrt-fct i^«a«*- .j»! BULL LED BY STAFF Management 59 of importance, so that if the regular man is sick or off duty we can order the substitute to do his work according to the number given to him, without going into details of explaiuing or breaking him in on the new work. In the absence of the feeder the sub- stitute feeder would of course carry on the feeding according to the feeding chart. Daily work schedule. There is at least one man on duty in the cow barns at all times. The night man No. 7, and day man No. 8, work 12 hours each, relieving each other at 6:30 A. M. and 6:30 P. M. Before No. 7 is relieved in the morning he has the barns, cows, gutters, etc. clean. When No. 8 comes on at 6:30 A. M., his first work is to wash and dry the hind parts and udders of every milking cow, using a separate cloth for each one. This limits the chance of the spreading of cow-pox or other in- fections that may be spread if the same cloth were used for all the cows, and is more sanitary. During this time the feeder is preparing the feed, so that when the milkers come in at 7 A. M., everything is in readiness for them to start milking. During the milking period the barns are closed to visitors and outside employees of the farm, and all work in that section of the barn is stopped. The milk pails used are of the small-mouth design. The milk from each individual cow is taken to the milk receiving room, where it is weighed, recorded and poured into a drum, connected by a pipe passing through the wall to the receiving vat in the milk room. On arriving here it is taken care of immedi- ately. The milk room is part of the dairy, and the 60 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle floor level is eight feet lower than that of the milk receiving room, so that all milk is carried to the dairy by gravity. In one corner of the milk receiving room is a wash bowl with hot and cold running water. Before milking each cow, the milkers wash their hands and scald the milk bucket. During milk- ing, they wear white suits that are laundered and sterilized daily. After the milking is completed the milkers change their white suits for khaki. The cows are first given a thorough grooming, then their hind quarters are washed with a good disinfectant. This is done as soon as possible after milking, and by the next mUking all odor of the disinfectant will have disappeared so that there is no danger of taint- ing the milk. By this time the cows have cleaned up aU their feed and are turned out in the exercising yards. Each man then cleans his own section. The cement and cork-brick floors, gutters, mangers and all piping for stanchions are thoroughly scrubbed, the stalls and gutters disinfected, and clean bedding placed ready for the cows to be brought in again. From this time until two o'clock the work is ar- ranged for by the herdsman. The cows are turned out every day in the year. We have only one rule when not to turn them out, namely, when the ground is icy and slippery. In this case they are exercised in the covered exercising yard, and watched closely. We find that if they are turned out every day, and get accustomed to the gradual seasonal changes, they will be more hardy and have less chance of taking cold than if kept in the barn. They are turned out in rainy and snowy weather, MILKERS Management 61 care being taken not to keep them out long enough to get over-chilled. The barns in winter are kept at a temperature of about 50 degrees, always well ven- tilated and with a good circulation. At two o'clock we start to bring the cows back into the barn. They are then brushed off and the udders washed, ready for the second milking at three o'clock. From then on the schedule is carried on according to the chart. Thoroughness and efficiency of the milkers. — It is one thing to know a cow, her likes and dislikes, and another thing to have the disposition and pa- tience to treat her in a proper manner. We have noticed in changing milkers on certain cows that one milker will get 1 or 2 lbs. of milk more than another. The secretion of milk is involuntary, but under un- natural conditions the cow will hold back her milk to a certain extent, and most of these conditions can be controlled by the milker. He should understand the structure of the udder and the secretion of milk in order to get the maximum amounts. The methods of milking greatly influence the yield, but the treat- ment of the cow is also very important. It is nec- essary to have absolute quiet in the milking barn. Frequently the presence of an ofl&cial tester talking to the milker, rough and abusive treatment or talk, or any other irregularities that tend to cause the least bit of excitement or nervousness in the cow, will cause her to hold back the milk. In recording the reasons why a cow may be down in milk at a certain milking it would very often be safe to say that the milker "had a grouch on." 62 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle We always insist that the milkers use the Hege- lund method of milking, and get excellent results from it. The following is a description of this method, taken from "Investigations of Methods of Milking," Woll. Wis. Exp. Station, Bulletm No. 96. First Manipulation. — The right quarters of the udder are pressed against each other (if udder is very large only one quarter at a time is taken), with the left hand on the hind quarter, and the right hand in front on the fore quarter, the thumbs being placed on the outside of the udder, and the fore- fingers in the division between the two halves of the udder. The hands are now pressed toward each other and at the same time lifted toward the body of the cow. This pressing and liftmg is repeated three times, the milk collected in the milk cistern is then milked out, and the manipulation repeated until no more milk is obtained in this way, when the left quarters are treated in the same manner. Second Manipulation. — The glands are pressed together from the side, the fore quarters are milked each by itself by placing one hand, with the fingers spread, on the outside of the quarter and the other hand in the division between the right and left fore- quarters; the hands are pressed against each other and the teat then milked. When no more milk is obtaiued by this manipulation, the hind quarters are milked by placing a hand on the outside of each quarter, likewise with fingers spread and turned upward, but with the thumb just in front of the hind quarter. The hands are lifted, and grasp into the gland from behind and from the side, after which Management 63 they are lowered to draw the milk. The manipu- lation is repeated until no more milk is obtained. Third Manipulation. — The fore teats are grasped with partly closed hands and lifted with a push toward the body of the cow, both at the same time, by which method the glands are pressed between the hands and the body; the milk is drawn after each three pushes. When the fore teats are emptied, the hind teats are milked in the same manner. Methods of drying off the cow. — The first step in drying off the cow is to gradually reduce the grain ration, and after a few days take it entirely away, until after the cow is dry. At the same time we lessen the milkings from three times daily to twice. About the fourth day start milking only once and then do not strip all of the milk out of the udder. After another few days commence milking every other day, so that in ten days or two weeks she is absolutely dry. Some cows will not dry up so quickly, but if there is still some milk in the udder at this time it will usually absorb without any harmful results if left alone. This however must be left to the judgment of an experienced cow man. Milk Fever. — We figure that each cow is going to have milk fever about the time of calving, and we are so prepared. If she does not have it we consider it fortunate. We have had cows taken with milk fever before calving, but our experience is that this is exceptional. In such cases with a little assistance at calving time, they usually recover with no ill effects. The time to apply the milk fever treat- ment is at the first symptoms, pump the air into 64 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle the udder while the cow is still on her feet. If caught in time she will usually recover without get- ting down. It is important to release the tapes that have been tied to the teats to hold the air in within two hours, or sooner if signs of recovery are ap- parent, as they stop the circulation of blood. In cases where the cow does not show signs of recovery within two hours, or has a relapse after the first re- covery, it v/ill be necessary to inject air the second time. Too much care cannot be taken in sterilizing and inserting the tube in the teat, as a serious in- fection or injury may result from careless treatment at this time. After recovery the air is not usually milked out for several hours. Good milk fever outfits, containing detailed instructions for their use, can be secured from any reliable veterinary supply house. We have had only one case where it was necessary to milk the cow before calving. This, however, should not be done unless absolutely necessary. Management of Dry Cows. — As soon as the cow is dry she is placed in the special dry cow barn, and fed according to the methods as outlined for dry cows in Chapter III. The dry cow barn is not con- nected directly with any of the other buildings, and is quiet, sunny, and well ventilated. The cow is weighed frequently, and fed so that she will be some- what over her normal weight at calving time. Plenty of exercise is essential to keep the digestive system in the best condition, and to strengthen the body in general, so that the cow will have enough stored up vitality to carry her safely through the trying period Management 65 of calving, and the drain of a year's milking. She should be exercised several hours daily, and may be left out in pasture both day and night until within two or three weeks of calving time. Exercise for Milk Cows. — There seems to be some difference of opinion as to the exercise of test cows. Some herdsmen prefer to keep the cows in a box stall without turning them out during the entire test. Their reason for this is that the cow wastes too much energy in grazing over the fields. We have found that a test cow who is being fed to the limit of her safety point must have a certain amount of exercise to keep her in condition to properly handle this feed. The results of the following experience will demonstrate the importance of exercise for test cows. Up to the time of this experience my opinion had been that the animals would produce more milk if confined to a box stall and given very little ex- ercise. This was based upon the opinion of some other herdsmen, and on a theory which I later dis- covered was all wrong. During this particular winter the cows had not been exercised for several weeks, not since the very cold and severe weather had set in. We first had two cases of bloat, and a few days later a few cases of impaction, then follow- ing this was more bloat and other digestive troubles. We of course cut down on the feed but this did not seem to relieve the condition very much. Samples of the grain, silage and hay were sent to the State experiment station, but they reported nothing wrong in any way. Outside veterinarians were brought in, but could find nothing wrong, except to 66 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle suggest that they were being fed too heavily. We then decided that the trouble might have been caused by lack of exercise, and started turning the cows out for a while each day. This relieved the digestive troubles, and from then on we went back to exactly the same feed and amounts that we had been feeding. The cows had been used to the warm stables, so that after we started turning them out, a large share of them had colds, laryngitis, etc. During the following fall the cows were turned out for three or four hours every day and this was con- tinued all through the winter. The cows became accustomed to the gradual changes in the weather so that it did not affect them as the sudden change had done before. It was particularly noticeable this past winter that the cows were turned out every single day, in rain, snow, and when the temperature was almost down to zero, and yet not one had a sign of a cold, and the production records demon- strate the absence of digestive troubles. I feel that I can safely say that exercise is essential to the pro- duction of all but seven-day records, and that a certain amount of exercise does not waste energy, but exercise and fresh air are two of the factors necessary to good production. We do believe, how- ever, that a small exercise lot used in connection with the soiling system is more economical, and better than a large grassy pasture without the soiling system. Number of Milkings Per Day. — This depends largely upon the conditions, or whether the milkers have outside work to do in connection with the barn O CO CO Management 67 work. We have found that there is quite a difference between milking twice and three times, and that the cows will give more milk, and a slightly higher fat percentage with the latter, but the additional results gained by milking four times per day are very slight unless the cow happens to be milking very heavily. The final results will be much greater if the intervals between milkings are the same. Bonus for Milkers. — The importance of having good steady milkers cannot be overestimated. We re- quire that they live up to our rules, and in return we make the conditions as comfortable and interesting as possible. When milking three times a day at eight-hour intervals it is necessary that the milkers live near their work. We have a dormitory over part of the dairy buildings that the men call the "Hotel Udder." Here they are very comfortable and are furnished with farm papers and a farm library. They are also furnished with baseball and basket- ball outfits, the games being played after working hours. As an added inducement to have them keep up their interest, we give them bonuses as follows. For each cow in the monthly 50-pound Hst $1.00 For each pound of butter fat between 50 and 60 J r cows over 2 jts .05 P°^^n2yearold8 06 For each pound of butter-fat over 60 poimds .10 This money is put into the pot, and divided equally among the milkers at the end of each month, or when the reports have been confirmed by the cattle club. The following bonus is given yearly : The records 68 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle are taken from the A. J. C. C— R. of M. volume, the year beginning and ending with the records con- tained in this volume. A man to be entitled to share in this bonus must have remained in the employ of the farm during the entire year. For the best class record. The best 2-3 or 4 year old daughter of any bull of the breed $10.00 For a cow that makes the record that proves her the best daughter of any bull 50.00 Manure Disposal and Compost. — The manure trolleys and carriers run through the entire barns convenient to all box stalls and gutters. The trolleys lead to the exercising shed in the floor of which there are three trap doors. This shed is built on a slight grade, so that the basement is several feet high and the floor on a level with the outside grade. Three manure spreaders are backed in this basement, directly under the three trap doors, and when the manure carriers are dumped over the doors, the litter falls into the spreader. As each spreader is loaded it is taken directly to the fields and spread. If there are no open fields on which to spread the manure, a compost is made by first placing a layer of horse manure on the ground, making a strip slightly wider than the width of the wagon, then on top of this a layer of cow manure, and third a layer of peat or dirt. Each load drives over the compost and packs it. The layer of dirt and the continual packing with the team and wagon driving over the compost, excludes the air and causes the compost to rot rapidly without burning. Many farmers do not use baled shavings because it takes r Hi EXERCISING SHED MANURE SPREADER Management 69 several years for them to rot on the jBields, but with this method they will rot in a few months. It also pays to sprinkle raw rock phosphate either in the gutters or on each load as it leaves the barn. In comparison with the other styles of compost that have to be turned, and must have the liquid pumped over them several times during the year, this method is much more convenient and labor saving. Each gutter in the barn has two outlet traps. While the cows are in the barn the trap leading to the liquid manure pit is open. This pit is located outside of the barn and well covered. It is emptied by a pipe, the opening of which is some distance away and lower than the pit. It is arranged so that at this point the pipe runs vertically out of the ground, high enough for a sprinkling cart to be filled. by gravity from the top. The liquid is then spread on the fields. While the barns are being washed, the other trap is open and the one leading to the tank is closed. This is done so that the wash water will not run in and dilute the liquid manure, but is carried away and run through a septic tank. Purchase and Storage of Feed. — One of the largest items of expense on the dairy farm is the feed bill. There are many openings for the development of leaks from the time the feed is ordered until it is fed to the cows, and most of them can be controlled by the farmer. The cow cannot do all the econom- ical producing if her manager does not help her, or is wasteful in the purchasing, handling or feeding of the different feeds. By this I do not mean to imply that he should economize by reducing the feed pur- 70 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle chased, as liberal feeding is usually economical feed- ing. On the other hand over-feeding is wasteful feeding. To illustrate this to a certain feeder who had been feeding more than was necessary to a certain cow, I had him give her one pound of feed less, per day, for three days, and I made him dump the extra pound in the manure cart. At the end of that time he was to compare the milk weights of these three days with the three days previous. The results proved to him that there are cases where it is more profitable to spread the feed on the fields, than to feed it to a cow and get no returns for it. In purchasing feed, the quality as well as the price should be considered. Most experiment sta- tions will gladly analyze samples of feed purchased, and it is good practice to avail ourselves of this op- portunity and send them samples frequently. The availability should also be considered. Many dealers find it difficult to keep certain kinds of grain always in stock, and for this reason it is best to have a sub- stantial supply always on hand. We figure the num- ber of pounds of each kind of grain used per month, and when the supply gets so that we have only enough left to last six weeks we secure quotations from at least three dealers, and order, in mixed car lots, enough of each kind of grain so that it will as nearly as possible all run out together, and clean up on the old lot before the new is touched. In this way certain grains that may deteriorate are kept always fresh and in good sweet condition. The feed storage room is lined with a rat proof wiring. All feed is hoisted to this room with an Management 71 automatic hoist run by a gas engine, no hand or horse hoisting being necessary, and is distributed so that each kind of grain is piled separately. The floors are swept clean and after one lot of grain has been used, any that has spilled or leaked from the bags is gathered up and mixed with the ration, there being absolutely no waste. In this room is a feed mixing platform 12 feet by 15. The feed is thoroughly mixed and then shovelled direct into one of the three bins. One bin is for mUk ration, one for dry cow ration and one for beet pulp. Each bin is lined with galvanized iron, and connects with the feed room directly below by round iron pipes or chutes, so that the feed can be drawn into the carts as required. Cooperative buying of feed, either through a co- operative society, or by several neighboring farmers purchasing feed together in car lots, has proved to be most successful and economical in many com- munities. Bale Wire. — Most cattlemen have had experience with nails and wire in cows' stomachs. Many a good cow has been lost by a piece of bale wire getting lodged in her stomach, and in many instances this was probably due to carelessness. We should do all that we can to prevent this occurrence and insist that every bale wire is accounted for by enforcing rule 14: "All wires should be cut on the opposite side of the tie, so that there will be no short pieces of wire that a cow could swallow. The wire is placed in a can outside of the barn, which is removed daHy." 72 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle Trimming the feet. — This drawing is a diagram of the rack that we use when trimming the cows' and bulls' feet. They are led into the rack and fastened in the stanchion built in the front. The hind feet Rack for Use in Trimming the Feet are either drawn up between the legs as in shoeing horses, or placed on the slanting 3 by 3 inch strips in the back. The front feet are drawn up on the brace either on the front or side. The tools nec- essary are a blacksmith's rasp, knife and nippers. The first operation is to clip off with the nippers the outer edge or horn, that has grown long. Then flatten the bottom or sole of the foot by paring off with a knife and finish up with the rasp. Great care should be taken until you have had experience enough to know just how far to go without cutthig into the quick. Breeding Rack. — The breeding rack is used especially for light cows or heifers, that other- wise could not stand the weight of the bull. The cows are led into the rack and fastened to the stanchion, which is adjustable, and can be moved either forward or back, according to the size of the BREEDING RACK Management 73 animal. The dirt under the hind feet is loose so that the legs can be lowered, if necessary, by shovel- ing some of the dirt away. It is difficult sometimes to get a mature bull to use the rack, but any bull can be taught to use it, if we are persistent in our efforts. Protection against Flies. — The best method of combating the fly is to destroy the breeding places, by not having any manure near the barns and to practice every sanitary precaution possible. Of course it is essential that the dairy should be screened, and it is also very good to have the milking barn screened. The employees should be very careful in going in and out of the doors, not to keep them open longer than is absolutely necessary. Fly traps should also be used, baited with molasses. The flies that happen to be in the barns will collect on the windows at certain times during the day, and at this time each man should use a fly swatter to de- stroy them. To reduce the flies to the minimum requires the cooperation and care of the employees. The extra cost and trouble will be repaid in a short while by the additional flow of milk secured by the increased comfort of the cows. During the hottest part of the day the shutters should be kept closed so that the barn will be cool, and the cows should be turned out for exercise in the evening when it is cooler and there are less flies to bother them. Soiling System. — The soiling system as adapted to dairy farms means that the cows are housed in barns and allowed to exercise daily in a practically grassless plot, and are furnished forage that is cut 74 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle green, and delivered to the cows in a fresh condition. The results of the following experiments should be sufficient evidence as to the value of the soiling system for feeding dairy cows. Otis, in the Kansas Station Press Bulletin 71, states that it required .71 acre of soiling crops to furnish a cow roughage for 144 days, and that it re- quired 3.6 acres of pasture to furnish the cow with roughage for an equal period. Voorhees, in Forage Crops, states that it cost $6.50, on an average, for each ton of dry matter yielded in the various soiling crops, and that the yield of dry matter per acre ranged from 3 to 4| tons. He also found that the feeding value of this dry matter was nearly as great as that found in fine feeds that cost over $20.00 per ton. The advantage of the soiling system then is that it saves on the feed bill. We estimate that one acre will furnish two and one half cows with soiling crops for one entire season. According to various authorities it would require from three to four acres of pasture to supply one cow with sufficient grass for one season. The land saved by using the soiling system is planted to crops that produce considerably more profit than we would net from pasturing. This system requires no fences, and so not only does away with the cost of erecting and maintaining the fence but at the same time makes available for use the land otherwise taken up by the hedge-row. It absolutely controls the food consumed by the cow so that we can accurately balance her ration and feed in amounts according to her requirements. It Management 75 increases the fertility of the land through the use of legume soiling crops and the control of the liquid and solid manure that can be spread evenly as re- quired. The same land should not be reserved for soiling crops each year, but they should be worked in on the rotation of all of the fields. The crops should be planned a year ahead so that we can arrange to plant either rye or clover or wheat in the fall for use early the next spring. We use the crop schedule chart as a help in working out the crop ro- Cro-p Schedule Form tations. There is a separate chart for each field, and a summary chart covering the entire farm. The acreage of each crop is determined by the require- ments of the stock, and distributed among the va- 76 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle rious fields in order to work out the best rotation for improving the fertility of the farm. As an example of a system of soiling crop rota- tions, the following is the record of the results of one year's planting which supplied fifty animals for six months at the New Jersey Experiment Station. Seed used, Date of Period of cutting Yield, Kind of Crops btishels seeding and feeding tons Rye, 2"acres 4 Sept. 27 May 1-7 9.4 Rye, 2 acres 4 Oct. 3 May 7-19 19 .2 Alfalfa, 1 acre, first cutting /i May 14 May 19-25 11.1 Wheat, 2 acres 4 Sept. 26 May 25- June 1 10.4 Crimson Clover, 6 acres IJ July 16 June 1-21 42.8 Mixed Grasses, 1 acre June 21-26 8 . 3 Oats and Peas, 2 acres 3 AprU 2 June 26- July 4 12 . 4 Oats and Peas, 2 acres \^i April 11 July 4-9 8.2 Alfalfa, second cutting July 9-11 2 . 1 Southern White Corn, 2 acres J May 2 July 22- Aug. 3 17.7 Barnyard Millet, 2 acres If June 19 Aug. 3-19 23.2 Soy Beans, 1 acre 2 June 1 Aug. 19-25 8 . 8 Cow Peas, 1 acre 2 June 10 Aug. 25-Sept. 1 10.5 Cowpeas and Kafir Corn, 2 acres | -^ | July 10 Sept. 1-16 24.4 Pearl Millet, 2 acres i July 11 Sept. 16-Oct. 1 20.2 Cowpeas, 1 acre IJ July 24 Oct. 1-5 8.0 Mixed Grasses, 5 acres, partly dried Oct. 5-27 20.0 Barley, 2 acres 3^ Sept. 2 Oct. 27-Nov. 1 5.2 On a number of these plots, 2 crops can be grown in one season, and on others the second cuttmg is used. Summer silage is used and recommended by many farmers, who claim that it is a great labor saver, since the crop is hauled to the silo all at once and the daily carting of one or more loads to the barn, as necessary with the soiling system, is obviated. On the other hand many farmers who have tried this complain of the poor keeping qualities of other than Corn silage ; but the fault may be theirs in not cutting it at the proper time, or in faulty filling, not packing it tight enough, etc. Management 77 o a a o ^. 50 •:; -, pfl ■S>n.s si ro'S""„r3 -S ^§;S • . — . — o od m fl 2.9 >*; 3^1 Si-iMifloorHW^mto ■I rl .-( : *§^.-g-§«2 l^go'dli : -s*! . few ® ••S CD • (U o p •ifltOOOMOOUS •* Tj4 05 •* b- t» •" ^Cy-S S.io oot-t a<» a ocj2 o I as iiloQS gfez^ a||^^ >.^ IIj n t- 1 ^ «_»'^«io: 0_000000'|Q «'2q « . -o o -Ht^>^/ ItCtUittltiU This record to be filed at Farm Office Immediately after setvi(«. Herdsman \>1U note above If it is first, second or tliird service. animals to transmit those characters. The longer a certain character has existed in a family the more certainly is it transmitted, the development being handed down through several generations and im- proving with each individual. The future generation cannot inherit something that the parents and ancestors do not possess. There- fore if we are trying to improve by selection and breeding we must select from a pedigree of known producers. 92 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle If the dam or granddam of the animal we select for breeding is foundation stock with unknown pedigree, we, of course, do not know the records back of that cow. Her ancestors may have been high producers, but the fact that we are most interested in is, does she contain good qualities, and is she transmitting good qualities to her sons and daughters and grand- sons and granddaughters? If she is, we can rest assured that these characters have been inherited. On the other hand if the progeny of the foundation animal are not good producers, or are not old enough to have shown their productive ability, we are gam- bling with chances of winning on unknown quantities. SERVICE ORDER New Vorfe. April gf /91fi_ Yott are hereby ordered to to flnlHAn yflin^'a TTnhlA H. No. B^SAfiL afte.T Aumist 1 6^ 1918 /mtt prior to_3eEt.«aife5 Recorded in Office BreedlnK Book CHECK t^X^:^!:^ Selection should not be concluded with the in- vestigation of the performance of the animal and its ancestors, but the type, conformation, and con- dition should also be looked into, and judged ac- Breeding and Selection 93 cording to the score card and the best ability of the buyer. Many cattle are purchased through cor- respondence, and in that case the buyer must rely to a great extent upon the honesty of the seller. Some animals will begin to produce and make records in their two-year-old form, others will not produce heavily until the second, third or fourth lactation periods. We realize that a cow cannot transmit qualities that she does not possess. Among animals that have descended from a high-producing family and have been neglected as far as feeding and care are concerned, the tendency will be for the de- velopment to go backwards instead of improving. It has been observed that cows added to the Brookwood herd by purchase did not develop their full producing capacity until after one or two years' residence here, and sometimes not until they were five or six years old. It must remain for the time being an open question whether this late produc- tivity is to be ascribed to the influence of our methods upon the cow herself, or to some inherent peculiarity inherited from her ancestors, and per- haps due to the different methods of feeding, etc., practiced in her original home. Register of Merit Breeding Chart As an example of the use of the following table, we take the case of a cow whose test ends on January 1st. From the table we find that the cow should be bred prior to August 1st; that is to say, at the latest on July 31st. Considering this the first day she will 94 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle carry her calf, we find that allowing 31 days for August, 30 days for September, 31 days for October, REGISTER OF MERIT BREEDING CHART Test ends Breed Test ends Breed After Prior to After Prior to Jany. 1 June 17 Aug. 1 Feby. 1 July 18 Sept. 1 2 18 2 2 19 2 3 19 3 3 20 3 4 20 4 4 21 4 5 21 5 5 22 5 6 22 6 6 23 6 7 23 7 7 24 7 8 24 8 8 25 8 9 25 9 9 26 9 10 26 10 10 27 10 11 27 11 11 28 11 12 28 12 12 29 12 13 29 13 13 30 13 14 30 14 14 31 14 15 July 1 15 15 Aug. 1 15 16 2 16 16 2 16 17 3 17 17 3 17 18 4 18 18 4 18 19 5 19 19 5 19 20 6 20 20 6 20 21 7 21 21 7 21 22 8 22 22 8 22 23 9 23 23 9 23 24 10 24 24 10 24 25 11 25 25 11 25 26 12 26 26 12 26 27 13 27 27 13 27 28 14 28 28 14 28 29 15 29 30 16 30 31 17 31 Breeding and Selection 95 30 days for November, 31 days for December and one day for January 1st, that she will have carried her calf 155 days during the test. REGISTER OP MERIT BREEDING CHART Test ends Breed Test ends Breed After Prior to After Prior to March 1 Aug. 15 Sept. 29 April 1 Sept. 15 Oct. 30 2 16 30 2 16 31 3 17 Oct. 1 3 17 Nov. 1 4 18 2 4 18 2 5 19 3 5 19 3 6 20 4 6 20 4 7 21 5 7 21 5 8 22 6 8 22 6 9 23 7 9 23 7 10 24 8 10 24 8 11 25 9 11 25 9 12 26 10 12 26 10 13 27 11 13 27 11 14 28 12 14 28 12 15 29 13 15 29 13 16 30 14 16 30 14 17 31 15 17 Oct. 1 15 18 Sept. 1 16 18 2 16 19 2 17 19 3 17 20 3 18 20 4 18 21 4 19 21 5 19 22 5 20 22 6 20 23 6 21 23 7 21 24 7 22 24 8 22 25 8 23 25 9 23 26 9 24 26 10 24 27 10 25 27 11 25 28 11 26 28 12 26 29 12 27 29 13 27 30 13 28 30 14 28 31 14 29 96 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle That is, a cow finishing her test on January 1st can be bred, at the latest, on July 31st preceding REGISTER OP MERIT BREEDING CHART Test ends Breed Test ends Breed After Prior to After Prior to May 1 Oct. 15 Nov. 29 June 1 Nov. 15 Dec. 30 2 16 30 2 16 31 3 17 Dec. 1 3 17 Jany. 1 4 18 2 4 18 2 5 19 3 5 19 3 6 20 4 6 20 4 7 21 5 7 21 5 8 22 6 8 22 6 9 23 7 9 23 7 10 24 8 10 24 8 11 25 9 11 25 9 12 26 10 12 26 10 13 27 11 13 27 11 14 28 12 14 28 12 15 29 13 15 29 13 16 30 14 16 30 14 17 31 15 17 Dec. 1 15 18 Nov. 1 16 18 2 16 19 2 17 19 3 17 20 3 18 20 4 18 21 4 19 21 5 19 22 5 20 22 6 20 23 6 21 23 7 21 24 7 22 24 8 22 25 8 23 25 9 23 26 9 24 26 10 24 27 10 25 27 11 25 28 11 26 28 12 26 29 12 27 29 13 27 30 13 28 30 14 28 31 14 29 Breeding and Selection 97 and qualify for Class A A. As, however, this is the latest day on which a cow could be bred and meet the requirements of carrying a calf 155 days during REGISTER OP MERIT BREEDING CHART Test ends Breed Test ends Breed After Prior to After Prior to July 1 Dec. 15 Jany. 29 Aug. 1 Jany. 15 March 1 2 16 30 2 16 2 3 17 31 3 17 3 4 18 Feby. 1 4 18 4 5 19 2 5 19 5 6 20 3 6 20 6 7 21 4 7 21 7 8 22 5 8 22 8 9 23 6 9 23 9 10 24 7 10 24 10 11 25 8 11 25 11 12 26 9 12 26 12 13 27 10 13 27 13 14 28 11 14 28 14 15 29 12 15 29 15 16 30 13 16 30 16 17 31 14 17 31 17 18 Jany. 1 15 18 Feby. 1 18 19 2 16 19 2 19 20 3 17 20 3 20 21 4 18 21 4 21 22 5 19 22 5 22 23 6 20 23 6 23 24 7 21 24 7 24 25 8 22 25 8 25 26 9 23 26 9 26 27 10 24 27 10 27 28 11 25 28 11 28 29 12 26 29 12 29 30 13 27 30 13 30 31 14 28 31 14 31 98 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle the test and there is always the possibility of a cow not holding to a service, an earlier date is also given, fixed arbitrarily 44 days in advance of the latest REGISTER OF MERIT BREEDING CHART Test ends Breed Test ends Breed After Prior to After Prior to Sept. 1 Feby. 15 April 1 Oct. 1 March 17 May 1 2 16 2 2 18 2 3 17 3 3 19 3 4 18 4 4 20 4 5 19 6 5 21 5 6 20 6 6 22 6 7 21 7 7 23 7 8 22 8 8 24 8 9 23 9 9 25 9 10 24 10 10 26 10 11 25 11 11 27 11 12 26 12 12 28 12 13 27 13 13 29 13 14 28 14 14 30 14 15 March 1 15 15 31 15 16 2 16 16 April 1 16 17 3 17 17 2 17 18 4 18 18 3 18 19 5 19 19 4 19 20 6 20 20 5 20 21 7 21 21 6 21 22 8 22 22 7 22 23 9 23 23 8 23 24 10 24 24 9 24 25 11 25 25 10 25 26 12 26 26 11 26 27 13 27 27 12 27 28 14 28 28 13 28 29 15 29 29 14 29 30 16 30 30 15 30 31 16 31 Breeding and Selection 99 day, which will allow one additional service and in some cases two, prior to the time after which the requirements of Class A A cannot be met. REGISTER OF MERIT BREEDING CHART Test ends Breed Test ends Breed After Prior to After Prior to Nov. 1 April 17 June 1 Dec. 1 May 17 July 1 2 18 2 2 18 2 3 19 3 3 19 3 4 20 4 4 20 4 5 21 5 5 21 5 6 22 6 6 22 6 7 23 7 7 23 7 8 24 8 8 24 8 9 25 9 9 25 9 10 26 10 10 26 10 11 27 11 11 27 11 12 28 12 12 28 12 13 29 13 13 29 13 14 30 14 14 30 14 15 May 1 15 15 31 15 16 2 16 16 June 1 16 17 3 17 17 2 17 18 4 18 18 3 18 19 5 19 19 4 19 20 6 20 20 5 20 21 7 21 21 6 21 22 8 22 22 7 22 23 9 23 23 8 23 24 10 24 24 9 24 25 11 25 25 10 25 26 12 26 26 11 26 27 13 27 27 12 27 28 14 28 28 13 28 29 15 29 29 14 29 30 16 30 30 15 30 31 16 31 CHAPTER VII Fitting Cattle for Exhibition THE OBJECT of the various cattle and show associations in offering premiums for the best show animals is to furnish an incentive to the farmer to breed the best animals possible. The score card for the ideal type of dairy cow not only selects the points that please the eye, but empha- sizes the points that almost always go with high production. The farmer that keeps herd records and can show high and economical production, and can also show type by his winnings in the show ring, is doing a very creditable work, not only for himself, but for the breed of cattle that his herd represents. Aside from the honor and pleasure that he gets in point of sportsmanship, he is showing his animals before the public and advertising his herd, which will result in a greater demand for the progeny of his stock. In showing cattle, the first and most important consideration is the selection of the animal to be exhibited. This selection must be based on an un- derstanding of the general conformation and type which is described in the scale of points in the chapters of this book relating to the different dairy breeds. Probably an equally important factor is the training and fitting of the show animals. Success in 100 Fitting Cattle for Exhibition 101 this depends upon the aptitude of the show man as a judge, his abihty to grasp all the requirements and points of the ideal show cow; and also upon Diagram of Cow Showing Points 1. Head 2. Muzzle 3. Nostril 4. Face 5. Eye 6. Forehead 7. Horn 8. Ear 9. Cheek 10. Throat 11. Neck 12. Withers 13. Back 14. Loins 15. Hip bone 16. Pelvic arch 17. Rump 18. Tail 19. Switch 20. Chest 21. Brisket 22. Dewlap 23. Shoulder 24. Elbow 25. Forearm 26. Knee 27. Ankle 28. Hoof 29. Heart girth 30. Side or barrel 31. BeUy 32. Flank 33. Milk vein 34. Fore udder 35. Hind udder 36. Teats 37. Upper thigh 38. Stifle 39. Twist 40. Leg or gaskin 41. Hock 42. Shank 43. Dew claw his knowledge, ability and experience in fitting and training animals for exhibition. Usually a very good show animal not in the best of condition will win over an animal with poor conformation; still, it happens not infrequently that a very good animal not in the best of shape will lose to another animal that is not so good, but happens to be in better condition and better trained. 102 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle The beginner or amateur should not attempt to start showing at the larger exhibitions or fairs. He should fit his cattle to the best of his ability, and start in at the local or county fairs, and as he gains experience gradually work up to the larger shows. He wlQ find that it is more encouraging and he will probably have acquired a greater training than by starting at the top. It is not necessary to use harsh methods, or treat- ment that will injure the animal in any way. What is to be gained if such stringent methods are used, that the cow, after completing the show circuit, will be for evermore barren and a non-producer? Show- ing is no doubt more or less of a strain on the animal, but nothing more should be sacrificed than a slight temporary decrease in production. As an example of efficiency in show management, take the case of Beechlands Champion Lily. She freshened Febru- ary 1, 1916 and in 365 days made 11627.4 lbs. of milk and 628 lbs. of butter fat. During this test she was on the show circuit for six months, and won, among other prizes, first prize for Register of Merit cow at Indianapolis and Southwestern Dairy Show at Kansas City. She dropped a fine vigorous bull calf on April 4th and in the following test she made 14,355.6 lbs. of mHk and 829.26 lbs. of butter-fat, and finished the test in excellent condition. Type is good. Production is good. But the ideal cow is one that produces, re-produces, and has show win- nings to her credit. Time required to train and Condition. — It would be impossible to state a definite time in which to TYPES OF HEADS AND HORNS Warder's Fern Blossom Golden Fern's May Belle Agatha's Maiden Fern Oxford's Briar Flower 'Fitting Cattle for Exhibition 103 traan and fit animals for exhibition. Much depends upon the condition and disposition of the individual. Three months, however, is better than six weeks. The longer period gives us an opportunity to study the animal and study her faults, and gradually correct them by using natural methods. Short time fitting sometimes requires methods that are harmful. For instance at the last minute the herdsman de- cides that the barrel is underdeveloped, so he must do something at once to fill it out, and resorts to filling her up with slops composed of various grains and liquids, and perhaps gives gallons of this mix- ture before she is filled out to his satisfaction. He may also find that there are certain places that are hollow, and in order to fill them out he injects par- affine under the skin. Her coat may not be smooth and show real bloom, so he feeds heavily of certain high protein feeds and drugs to correct this con- dition. She may be sluggish, and he resorts to stimulants and medicines to put the pep in the animal. It goes without saying that these methods are extremely harmful to the future usefulness and value of the animal. Factors to consider. — During the period of fitting the herdsman should consider the following factors, and keep them always in mind, studying the animal in detail, and watching especially for her weak points and faults. Feeding, grooming, exercise, care of the feet and horns, general condition (hide, hair, flesh, bowels), training (disposition, pose, man- oeuvring), and finally shipping, and care before entering the ring. 104 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle Feeding. — The feed mixture and the amounts to feed are very important. If the cow is carrying a calf of course this condition will call for a slightly different feed than for a cow not with calf. Linseed oil meal is an important part of the grain mixture as it tends to put a gloss on the hair, but if the quality is not good, or an excess of it is used the results will be more harmful than good. Care should be taken not to overdo any of the factors. The ration and the amount of feed consumed should be watched closely, and the safety point determined, as in feeding for production. A feed that has produced good results in fitting show cattle is as follows. This mixture can be used as a base to work on, and should be varied slightly according to the individual requirements of the animals. If the animal is in poor flesh and does not gain satisfactorily in weight, add a little more corn meal, or if it is getting overfat reduce the amount of corn meal. The amounts consumed must also be based upon the individual condition and require- ments. CnishedOats 100 lbs. Wheat Bran 200 " Com or Hominy Meal 100 " Linseed Oil Meal 100 " Salt 1 % In addition to this the cows receive mixed hay, clover, little timothy, red top or rye-grass. A relish of cabbage, beets, etc., helps out. One feeding of alfalfa hay daily is not objectionable, but alfalfa exclusively is too loosening and prevents holding Fitting Cattle for Exhibition 105 flesh under shipment. When once a good ration has been established it is best not to change, except to slightly widen or narrow it for certain individuals. The calves should be fed according to the schedule in Chapter II, except that roots thinly sliced or pulped would be better than ensilage. The calves should not be turned out to graze within six weeks of the show, as at this time the feed should be ab- solutely controlled. When turned out for exercise they should be in a lot separate from the calves that are not to be exhibited. Grooming. — The grooming of an animal benefits not only the appearance of its coat but also con- tributes to its general well-being by keeping the skin and pores in a healthy condition. A bright smooth glossy coat is generally a sign that the animal is in good condition, so that the appearance of the coat is due to both internal and external forces. The pores must be kept open, the skin loose and pliable, and all foreign matter removed. Ex- cessive grooming with a currycomb is harmful. Where there is a spot of dirt or manure on the animal it is all right to rub off with a currycomb, but for general cleaning it should' not be used oftener than once every second or third day. The animal should however be groomed twice a day with a brush, not too coarse or hard, and also rubbed off with a soft dry cloth, or the bare hands, using small quantities of an emulsion of equal parts of olive oil and alcohol and plenty of elbow grease. There is a great difference of opinion in regard to the use of blankets. A blanket serves several purposes. It 106 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle affords protection against flies, it helps the hair to lie smooth, and it also hastens shedding. It is, how- ever, best not to use blankets any more than nec- essary for these purposes. If they are used, they should be of light woolen material. Of course during shipment it may be necessary to cover the animals with blankets to keep out dirt. Exercise. — During the preparation for exhibition the animals should be kept in a box stall that is well bedded with clean straw or shavings. They should be turned out to exercise in the evening when there are not so many flies to annoy them, and when it is cooler. The exercise lot should contain very little grass. A large share of the exercise is given during the day when they are led out to be trained for show etiquette. Care of the Feet and Horns. — The feet should be trimmed, not only to add to the appearance, but so that the animal will walk and stand naturally and comfortably. The methods for trimming the feet are described in Chapter IV. Before any attempt is made to trim the horns they should be carefully studied. It is an easy matter at any time to file off part of the shell, but when too much is taken off it may mar the graceful curves and symmetry of the horns. First a wood rasp is used, not only to file off the rough parts of the shell, but to add to the beauty of the curves. On some parts as much as one eighth of an inch may be taken off, while other spots would not need any filing. After the filing so that the horns are as symmetrical as possible, they are smoothed off with a piece of glass, and then TYPES OF UDDERS Fitting Cattle for Exhibition 107 rubbed with a piece of emery cloth. The horns should not be left pointed like a pencil, but the ends should be flattened and rounded off. For pol- ishing the horns various oils and poHshes are used. We have found the U. S. metal Polish, in paste form, to be very satisfactory. General Condition. — In addition to the external show points, the general health of the animal should be closely watched, such as the appearance of the eyes, condition of the hair, pliability of the skin, appetite, bowels, udder, etc. Frequent weighing is also an aid in determining the effect of the feed on the weight. Do not get them in too high flesh ; it is harmful to future breeding and milking. On the other hand too lean a condition will not do justice to the cow. Training. — It is very interesting to watch the exhibitors in the large fairs manoeuvring their cattle for position, each trying to gain the place that will show their charge to the best advantage and con- venience of the judge, and trying to keep out of pockets. Usually the successful animals have been trained to walk and stand in the positions that show them up best. For instance a certain animal may be best shown by holding its head quite high. Another animal may resent this and would show better if given more freedom. They should also be trained for position in standing, so that the top line wiU be level, and no unnatural twists appear in the body. The animal should be so trained that if necessary it can be made to move any one foot into proper position, without changing the position of the other 108 Feeding and Management of Dairy Cattle three feet, by touching it lightly on the offending foot or leg. The cows should also be trained so that the new surroundings and conditions at the show will not cause them undue nervousness, and they should be taught to stand still while being closely examined by the judge. This training of course takes considerable time, and must be done at home before starting on the show circuit. Go through all of the positions and manoeuvres that you would be likely to use in the show ring. Allow strangers to look over the animals as the judge would do. Of course a nervous animal requires a longer period to train, and more patience, than one with a quiet dis- position, but any animal can be trained to go through all of these exercises. If they have not been faithfully trained, they are likely to do just the opposite of what you want them to do while in the show ring. Final Care and Shipping. — A few days before shipping date start to prepare a list of articles that you will require in the show circuit. From the time that the cows are loaded on the cars they should be under the constant care and watch of the show man or an assistant. Take care that the animals are not exposed to draughts, and are protected with blankets if exposed to the slightest cold or dust. Arrange to arrive at the show grounds at least 3 or 4 days before the opening of the exhibition. The feed during transit and at the fair should be the same as at home, only during transit the amounts should be re- duced to one half. Two or three days before the show each animal should be given a good wash with 2 CI '^ 0) So -^ °^ ^ -'^ ^ O Si CO oi 1> ^^ o o g ., ^ -Q O 02 (U ,-. o 1^ ^ 'O 03.22 S ° b a3 O OJ "tS 0) o3 ^^!Z; 03 (D O !^ Party int€Tvkwed_ "T- NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEAtTH ALBANY DAIRY INSPECTOR'S REPORT So«re Card (or Harket Milk M._4c_P. M. Add CTeamery y .Operated by No. TTifTlrin g ^r 'C^ Qoarts milk prodi JtJsoM, /Oo,Z .Time fpll]^^ "- "T^-^-ff- i^iT-^^ /f/^^J licensed 'KiavaBiieii.2>r^j5-(. All persons in hoosebolds of those engaged in producing orhandling milk are free from listed diseases (tubereukMiiB, tj-pboid fever, scarlet fever, eeptio sore throat, diphtheria, isfantile paralysis aud djaeatery) Date and nature of last case .._ ^____j -, ^ : ^ ______-__^_ Water supply for ntensils is from a^r (y^/U^/lu UJs>£J(^ , located G>-i.jCL-JaX deep aot^ apparently is pnre and wholesome. State any possible contamination located witbtn 200 feet of sowrce of water supply or if water so^ ply IS not protected against surface drainage ^ ^ — EQUIPMBMT Com apparcBtl; healtby and la good oonditioi COW STABLE Cow Stable adequately Hjjhted f2 sq. fcrt of wiiv dowa for each €00 en. ft. of air space Cow stable adrquateyl TCntOBUd. (King SyBlen Floors sound and capable of being kept cteai (Concrete) , . . Drops-constracted of coocrete or some oonabsurl (ConstTocted of.wood and watertight. 1 ) Walls and ccUiaga tight...^...^.~.»».»->~if— -« UTENSILS (20). Milk pailj nfmcUl, amooth. in good repair; aeao foldcred flush. ._..~..- ___._...„.__.„—..- MilV can3andlid!'tfraetal,amooth,ingood irpai seams soldcrrd flush » Strainers in good npsh- (cotton or ch ctae -dotb Sacks provided in a clean, light place to bold . paila ood strainers when not in oae Ample mpplj of boiling water. MtlKing paito of small mooth design, top opening notcxeedingS ii ' " (If roiliixig Cooling tanks of capadty for > seek of can^_ is nscd. &> metal or wood, « and depth to biing ^ India bs. m; mont —1 ■^^^ to TO ^ 5 > '-'5 Ju o CO