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Show FALL FRESH COWS ARE BEST Jf Bull Is Confined and Service Controlled, Con-trolled, Animals May Be Managed to Suit Owner's Wish. (By W. H. UNDERWOOD.) I It Is a well known fact that by far a greater number cf dairy cows are allowed to follow the most natural course, and either by Indifference or Intention, they freshen in tho spring, i The producer of milk for sale, if he has an even trade, may want to have an even number of fresh cows in every month of the year, i If the. hull Is kept confined and service serv-ice controlled, this can be regulated as a rule, although unpleasant irregularities irregu-larities in breeding will sometimes occur oc-cur and stubbornly resist correction. I But, if the prime object is to produce pro-duce the greatest quantity of milk of the best quality and the greatest profit with any given number of cows with-i Prize Holsteln Cow. In a year, evidence is overwhelming that the cows should be managed so as to calve during the autumn months. For like reasons, September is the best month in most parts of the country, coun-try, for a heifer to drop her first calf in order to best develop as a cow. This almost regardless of the animal at the first calving. Calves born in the fall are made easily reared and make better cows than those born in the spring and summer. It seems needless to rehearse the stock argument on the subject, based on long experience of successful dairymen, but a brief recapitulation may bo useful. The cow or heifer calving in the fall needs the most healthy and nutritious pasturage just following the strain while coming into full flow. Just at this time, when some falling off is likely to occur, the animal is brought to the stable and receives good care; the winter feeding and the returns from it may be depended upon to exceed ex-ceed the midsummer results for any like period. At the stage of milking and gestation, gesta-tion, when another dropping off of the miik yield may be looked for, the fresh pastures induce a fresh cow, lengthen the milking season and increase the year's total product. I December and January are good months in which to control and super-. super-. vise the service of a bull. Midsummer and the dog days are a good time for the cow to be dry and preparing to calve again. With fall-fresh cows, the greatest and richest product comes at the season sea-son when milk and butter are always comparatively high in price. In actual practice four fall-fresh cows have been found equal to five which calved in the spring in 12 months' product and at about four-fifths four-fifths the cost. |
