A good supply of water is necessary for milk-cows, which require much more than feeding-stock. In winter, they should have access to it at least twice a day, and require it still oftener in summer. Adequate shelter, and comfortable and convenient buildings are very essential to successful management. Unless the housing is good and comfort able, the materials which ought to go to the formation of butter are wastefully spent in supporting animal heat. Cows in full milk are most profitably kept in well-ventilated byres or hovels, of which the winter temperature should fall little below 60'.
The heifer may be put to the male when about two years old. The period of gestation is nine calendar months, or 284 days, but is usually shorter in young animals, and when the calf is a female. During pregnancy, cows fortunately are little liable to disease. Abortion occasionally occurs, and is most common about the third or fourth month. The heifer should receive the ordinary food of store-stock until within six or eight weeks of calving, when it is profitable to diet her as recommended for cows. It is a great mistake to starve cows in calf. They should be fairly and carefully fed, and milking suspended entirely for about 2 months, or at least 6 weeks before calving, In older cows, especially if good milkers, fora fortnight before calving, 'the bowels must be kept relaxed, the teats drawn, and any milk removed several times a day, and an occasional dose of salts given. Such simple precautions will prevent that apoplectic form of milk-fever which destroys so many excellent milk-cows. The enlargement of the udder, and appearance of milk, the loosening of the ligaments of the pelvis, the relaxation of the vulva, and the animal's evident desire to be alone, betoken the approach of parturition. The act is generally accomplished speedily and easily, and without requiring much assistance. The calf usually comes with its forelegs first, and its head rather on one side, with the nose between the knees. The cow often stands, and as the calf drops, the navel-string is ruptured. With a wisp of straw, the little animal is rubbed dry. and receives either from its mother, or from a bottle, a small quantity of the rich new milk popularly known as the " beastings" or cherry-curds technically termed the colostrum (q.v). In this the caseine is mostly displaced by more easily digested albumen; whilst the large amount of sugar and oily matter promotes the clear ing out of the bowels. In few eases of dairying are the calves allowed to stickle their dams. Many of the calves are sold young, to graziers and feeders; others arc intended for veal, and are fed highly for a short time on good milk, meal, and cake; while some —a few of the female animals—are fostered and reared with a view to fill blanks in the cow ranks. These latter get warm milk for five or six weeks, and skimmed for about as long, after which grass, early roots, and cake sustain them. For the first nine days,
calves should be carefully muzzled to prevent them eating straw. They do not ruminate until the ninth day is passed, and if before then they eat any straw, death generally ensues. The cow after calving should have a drink of meal and tepid water, to which a little salt may be added. For the first week, steamed food, bran-mashes, with good hay, constitute the best food: roots at all times, and cold water during winter, are best withheld. Cleansing drinks are quite uncalled for; and if the placenta do not come away within 12 hours after calving, it may be Very properly and safely removed by any one accustomed to such offices. After the lapse of a fortnight from the date of calving, roots may be given in considerable quantities, provided always the change has been accomplished gradually. Turnips touched by frost should be studiously avoided to cows either before or after calving, especially before.
In England, milking is usually done by men, 8 or 10 cows being allotted to each, and the operation, except in the case of newly calved cows, is repeated only night and morning. In Scotland, the milking is generally done by women, three times a day: and more milk is thus got than by milking only twice. The removing of the whole of the milk at each operation is most essential; indeed, experienced dairymen aver that half their profit lies in carefully getting the last of the milk, which, as is well known, is much the richest. With liberal feeding, such as that above described, well-selected cows yield daily, in a fortnight or three weeks after calving, 12 to 16 quarts, and should continue to do so for six or eight months. Even with the same management, the milk of some cows is especially rich, and yields an unusually large proportion of butter; whilst others are equally remarkable for the way they fill the cheese-tub. A quart of ordinary milk yields about an ounce of butter; and more in summer than in winter; but under good feeding, the amount. reaches and even exceeds an oz. and a half, and is tolerably equal at all seasons. A quart of new milk yields 4 ozs. of curd, and each cow is estimated to produce 500 lbs. of cheese in the season. It is essential that the cows be kindly treated by those to whom their milking is intrusted; otherwise, the animals will retain the best of the milk. Some people approve of giving food to the cow during the milking process. This may secure a freer discharge of the milk, but it establishes a troublesome custom, which, once begun, must generally be carried out ere the cows allow their milk to flow; and in dairies not very systematically conducted, or small, the application of food at the milking hour is often inconvenient. On many farms, where dairying is not a special feature, much of the value of the cows is lost by imperfect and careless milking—the work of unscrupulous servants.