DRYING OFF COWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 143, 27 February 1886, Page 7

DRYING OFF COWS.

The loss of a teat 30 imp. ires the usefulness of a cow that it seldom pays to retain one in the dairy after she has met with such a misfortune, so that such an accident is pretty nearlj r equivalent to dr. >pping a cow out of the herd. It is an important item, therefore, in the economy of Hairy fanning to see to it that such occurrences should bo avoided as far its possible. No human foresight is clear enough or watchful enough to ijuard against an occasional accident of this kind) but most of the numerous mishaps which spoil the teats ot cows can be avoided by proper care. Ninety per cent, of the spoiled udders are destroyed by bad management in drying off cows at the close of the milking season. When they are giving so liftle milk that if. i<* not deeme I advisable to mi"c r""j"U1 irily to save it,, they are pietty apt to be negiocted and to go so long between milkin^s as to induce inflamntim in om> or mou quintet* of th udder, and when inflamalion is once establishe 1 there, it i-> a pretty difficult matter to counteract it. The milk thickens in the reservoirs o( the udder, and as the curd cannot [1 <ss out through the small tubes leading into the teats, it remains there to irritate and keep up influmation until the p.vit of the udder involved is spoiled beyond remedy. ftiilk should, theiefore, be drawn often enough to keep the bag limpy and cool The time between milking? may be more and more extended, but the watchfulness should be constant, and at the first indication of any extia waimth or thickening of any part oF the bug, the milking had better bo done daily, or twice or thrice daily, until all danger Fiom an accumulation is p Ist Attention to no detail in the management of a herd is more essential than this item of care in drying oft cows at the close of the milking season, lnflamation to any extent ought to be prevented if possible^ for if it is not severe enough to ruin any part of the udder entirely, it always impars the activity of the inflamed part for the following season. A lack of prop 0 r care in this matter is often the mysterious caUse which makes cows vary in their messe3 in different seasons, when food and other surroundings seem equally favorable. Better by far to k(?ep up milking Until the nekt Calf is dropped than to allow any feverialmess or swelling of the udder to occur from an accumulation of retained milk. It is Well to keep this matter in mind, as the season for drying off cows which are to come in again draws near at hand*