Autumn Nights and Milch Cows.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 201, 30 April 1887, Page 8

Autumn Nights and Milch Cows.

Dairy keepers are apt to forget that in allowing a cows flow of milk to decrease by any want of attention in her treatment, they do not only suffer a temporary loss, but that the cow's milking capacity is often irretrievably injured until the next calving. Hence it is most important to keep up the flow of milk by every means. The sudden changes of temperature that take place at this time of year affect the physical system of a cow as they do that of a human being. Upon this subject the Western Rural thus advises :—: — •"Io not forget that the cow must not be allowed to become chilled, if you expect to keep up the flow of milk. There are some I who think that the cow needs shelter only when such weather as we call cold comes. Haace they permit their cows to run out through the very cold Fall nights and never suspect, or seem to suspect that they are locking iup the milk glands which can never be unlocked until she has another calf. The dairyman can rest assured that if through being chilled his cow gives less milk than usual, she will never give more until her next calving time. The milk machinery is very delicate and requires elope watching ; and the cow owner should, so to speak, keep his e> c on the barometer and thermometer, as the Fall approaches. Take no changes. As the nights promise to be cold, shelter the animal, if you regard her welfare and your own profits. It is just such little neglect* as are here indicated as being common that cause a large aggregate loss to our farmers. Very often we, as farmers, are reckless in the care of the little things, and it means pecuniary loss to u-. Everything is worth saving for it is in paving that people accumul ite A pint of milk is worth saving, but the loss under such circumstances as we have described, is not a pint alone but several pints. j *' There is no animal on the farm that re , quires such delicate care as a milch cow. She is sensitive and she is delicate. We sometimes talk of hardy cows. Of course hardiness is a valuable characteristic, but the care that should be given to a cow should be such as that any oidinary cow would thrive under it* The man who wishes a cow so hardly that she can live on nothing and stand all t>orta of exposure, would do much better to invest his money in cows that were not hardy than in those that were, for hia losses would probably teach him after awhile to take better care of his cows, and that would be money in his pocket. "