THE VICES OF COWS. (Rural New Yorker.)

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1477, 20 December 1881, Page 3

THE VICES OF COWS. (Rural New Yorker .)

Cows are given to ,few vices, and all that belong to them are caused, by faults "of management. The moat troublesome are the habit of kicking, holding up the milk, and sucking themselves. Some O\ heifers may kick when first ed in the effort to milk and from nervousness, but if they are gently used this trouble may be easily got over and nothing further may.be seen of it. But if the young animal is beaten or whipped, especially if this is cruelly done, as is Usual in such a case, the association of the punishment with the act becomes fixed upon the memory, and ever afterward the cow may be a kicker, because it naturally expects punishment at milking time and tries to defend itself from it. The frequent change of ownership also greatly helps to produce this habit, because some cows will resent the approach of a stranger ; but this only happens with very fretful cows or those which have been habitually ill-used. This habit may be prevented by the cautious and kindly treatment of the calf and heifer before she becomes a cow. A young calf will usually make an attempt to kick when the udder and teats are handled, but the objection is soon removed by gentle persistence in the treatment previously recommended for both calves and heifers, in regard to handling, brushing, and other familiar attentions. A cow that has been thus reared and trained will never become a kicker except through very brutal treatment. To cure this vice is sometimes, if not always easy. I have never found any difficulty about it by using patience and kind and gentle treatment, notwithstanding some occasional relapses and annoying accidents. The method of treatment has been as follows :—: — First, to secure the confidence and friendship of the animal ; second, to approach her cautiously, both to avoid alarming her and to secure myself against an attack ; never to strike or punish the cow tor an attempt to kick, but, instead, to soothe her and so remove the fear of danger which has given occasion for the kicking. All this may be done by gently patting and stroking the cow, speaking to her when approaching her, and familiarising her to the handling. After this milk her in a small pail, which can be held so that it cannot be upset, and with the left arm pressing upon the cow's leg, so that a kick can be warded off as much as possible. ( While milking, the cow is spoken to, to attract her attention, and every movement about her should be slow and deliberate, so as to avoid anything to cause her to suspect that a blow might follow the movement. When the milking is safely over, the cow is petted and spoken to, and a handful of meal or oats may be given to her. If a kick is made or threatened, the cow is never to be beaten for it, but spoken to kindly. No other person than the milker should approach the cow during the milking. Having entirely cured some cows that had been in the habit of kicking badly, by this treatment, wholly dispensing with sticks and ropes and other arrangements to prevent the kicking, and which only irritate the cow, I have confidence that there are few cows that have been so utterly spoiled that they may not yet be made quite gentle by it. Some cows kick because their sight is defective and they cannot distinguish the person approaching them. I have one such cow that is perfectly gentle and kind, and free from all vice of whatever kind, that will yet lash out the foot when she is approached from behind without being spoken to, and especially when the udder is touched on the wrong side suddenly and without notice. Nevertheless, when spoken to she will turn her head and lick the hand which is stretched out to her. This cow's sight is not good, and the defect is shown in other ways. Such cows should be approached and handled always with gentleness, or they may be very easily st.utled, it is instinctive with them to kick. Holding up the milk occurs chiefly when the cow is fresh. A cow that has been used to suoWo her calf will n lturnlly prefei that way of being 1 milked. It is most frequent with cons that aie so habituated, and for this reason it is raie among these cows whose calves are not permitted to suck them. It is a fault more easily prevented than cured, and at the same time one that is very troublesome and mischierouH in its results. A fresh cow that holds up her milk nearly always provokes thereby an attack of garget and future loss of milk all through the season, so that the daiiyman or owner of a family cow bhould bo on the watch to avert the trouble. When the calf is habitunllv taken from the cow before it has had time to suck, the cow will come to her milk naturally and without resistance, and this piaotico cannot be too strongly recommended as a constant rule in the daiiy When, however, the trouble hns occurred and a remedy is sought, we find how powerloxs we are to strive with the natural instincts of an animal excited to stubborn resistance. Many devices have been tried and recommended to overcome this vicious 1 propensity, but none of them ia of much value. One of these is to hang a heavy chain aoioss the loins ; another is to press upon the loins forcibly with the hands while efforts are being made ,to draw the milk. Others aie to give some feed at milking time, or to distract in some way the attention of the cow from her supposed grievance. Soothing measures and porseverance, or the use of milking tubes, are the only effective remedies. To give some feed or salt, and to sit down and rub the udder and manipulate the 'teats, as in milking , and to persevere with gentleness, is often effeotive ; but the only successful method of gettingthe milk is by the use of milking tubes, by which the milk flows by force of gravity in spite of any unwillingness of the cow. The tubes are inserted gently into the teats, and the milk runs ' in a stream until all is drawn off. This method, or any other, isonly temporary, and to be used only in the special emergency, because of the danger of in- 1 j tiring the lining membranes of the teats, and producing inflammation of the udder. Self-sucking is the worst vice that a cow can contract. It totally destroys her usefulness, and is a constant if ritation and disappointment. It iscontracted by old cows as well as by young ones, and cases occur in which 10 or 12-year old animals begin to practise the vice. - How it is learned seems to be unknown ; but it is more frequent than might be suspected. The remedies .proposed have been numerous, but all fail excepting that of slitting the tongue, by which the act of suction is made impossible. It may seem that this is a cruel and unusual punishment, but it is not so severe an operation as castration, and we do not hesitate at that to increase the value of onr male animals. The use of the ' ' nose jewel,"' which is a piece of board fastened to the nostrils so as to hang over the muzzle, and of variously arranged pokes,'^ neck bracelets andsttaps; have been recommended as sure cures, but, all have failed jn practice. I. do not hesitate-to recommend the" operation of slitting the tongue when the cow is a valuable one, the division being made _2in. in, length. The'operation should be -pe'rformedwneh the cow is dry, heals- very sopu. It id neceHsary to #ive soft J food or slop until the Ijeajinjej is Veil adyftnobcT, - ■ [There is no' need of slitting the'tongue. Several methods are kriowU of absolutely' preventing the habit.]- ' '