Drying off the Cows.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 30 April 1913, Page 3

Drying off the Cows.

NEW METHOD SUGGESTED

*' A system by -wliieh I consider New Zealand dairymen are annually losing thousands of pounds is followed in drying off their cows,'' says the correspondent of an exchange in a letter, in which he urges the adoption of a new, method. The writer says that the general method followed is to miss a cow for two or three milkings, then, four, until the worst cows are dried off, hut the best cows (the one most wanted in any herd) have got too near calving, and are turned out in the last fortnight when they are springing. A cow treated in this way is in a fever during the irregular milking, not knowing when milking time is coming. Milking a. cow after a day or two's spell induces inflammation of the udder, and consequently thick milk, until the vessel of th« animal is in a diseased state, A dairyman is often heard to say that one of his best cows is not worth milking after calving and that he could not dry her off before it. Almost every farmer can show similur cases.

" Four years ago," continues the correspondent, "I had six cows due to calve in November. I commenced to dry them oft in September, but could not get them dry. W hen they calved four of them were useless owing to the unhealthy state of their udders, and had to be culled out. The sj Tstem I have followed since then is that when a cow is two months off calving I miss her one night, milk her in the morning, and turn her out on the back of the farm, where she does not expect to be milked, and she is dry in a week. A cow treated this way has good fresh milk to absorb into her system, and the udder is left healthy for coming in next time. I treated thirty-four cows this way two seasons ago, and found it most satisfactory. Twenty-four hours after calving their milk was perfectly free from any foreign matter, and could be sent to the crearnory two days earlier than usual. I haa one of the best cows in the Dominion which was giving 40lb. of milk per day in1 Sep> te^'ber. I missed her one night, milked Tier in morning, when she gave a keiosene tin full, and then she was turned out. Upon calving she was thoroughly sound and healthy, and her udder was in particularly good order. When weaning a foal the usual practice is to just separate it from the mare. A sow's litter is shut away from, her without any detrimenttil result to the pig. A sheop is treated in the same manner, yet the cow from which the most money is obtained is treated so as to cause diseases of the udder. These remarks apply more particularly to deep-milking herds than to light milkers; m-this way cows are sure of their well-earned spell. I estimate the monetary saving by my system as follows :—Saving of time in drying off cows from Is to os on 34 cows, £-0 2s ; saving effected in milk being supplied to creamery two days earlier than usual, 31 cows with 1001b. milk each, at 3.0 tost, at >s per lb. ; estimated value of cows' udders being much healthier and consequent increase of milk supply at 1 0s per cow, £17 ; saving on cows usually destroyed throutrh defnotivo drying off, two cows at £l; r> per head, less £;3 each when fat, £20 ;or a total of £47 4s. Is not this worthy of farmers' consideration ?"