Pratt's Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry by Pratt Food Co.
page 31 of 139 (22%)
page 31 of 139 (22%)
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Unless milking is done at stated times, and by the same person, there will be a loss in the production. When milking is delayed, a decreased flow is noticeable the following morning. When a change of milkers is made, some cows resent it by withholding a part of the milk. It is not easy to dry some dairy cows prior to the birth of the next calf, and yet, as a rule, it ought to be done. When they are to be dried the process should begin by milking them once a day and putting them on dry food. The food may also be reduced somewhat in quantity. Later the milk is taken out at intervals which constantly increase in length until the cow is dry. The udder should be carefully watched during the later stages of the drying process. Where suitable pasture may be obtained, it is usually a cheaper source of food for cows than soiling food or cured fodders, as the element of labor in giving the food is largely eliminated. The best pastures, viewed from the standpoint of production, are those grown on lands that may be irrigated during the season of growth. These consist of clover and certain grasses. Permanent pastures which are grown on moist land, and which contain a number of grasses, are usually satisfactory, but the nature of the pasture must, of course, be largely determined by the attendant conditions. Blue grass pastures are excellent while succulent and abundant, but in midsummer they lose their succulence for weeks in succession. Brouer grass is a favorite pasture in northwestern areas, and Bermuda grass in the South. In the Eastern and Central States, the most suitable pastures are made up of blue grass, timothy, and orchard grass, and of the common red, white and alsike clovers. There is more or less of hazard to cows when grazing on |
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