THE FARMEll'S MAGAZINE. 



203 



ON COW SHEDS AND CALF 



ENS. 



Tlie climate of Great Britain wo.Ht naturally iiiducea a system 

 of husbandry that yields a mixed produce of grains and animals, 

 for the use of which articles the land is cropped in alternation, 

 or in yielding grains with plants for the snpport of animals in 

 a lotation of crops. The situations arc not many which afTord 

 grains wholly without the use of animals ; if not bred on the 

 ground, cattle are purchased to reduce the straws into manure. 

 The breeding of cattle forms a chief part of the agriculture of 

 Britain, for the purpose of being reared and fattened into beef, 

 or to be sold at the age of three or four years to be transported 

 to other countries to be grazed and fattened with turoipi. In 

 either way the attention is the same that is required to pro- 

 duce the raw material of the finished article. 



The condition of the young animal lays foundation of the 

 future growth, and with the management of the same consti- 

 tutes the chief requirement in the breeding of cattle. Neglect 

 or attention at that period of the age of cattle spoils or maizes 

 the futnre quality. 



A cow that produces a young offspring and yields milk is a 

 heavy animal, incapable of enduring travel or fatigue, and 

 demands much repose. The journeys must be short from the 

 shed to the pasture ground, which must be rich aud abundant 

 in grass, in order to incur little trouble to the animal in filling 

 its belly with a large quantity of food. The secretion of 

 milk requires ease in every function of the body, and it must 

 be indulged in every possible way. The best arrangement 

 directs that a pasture field of convenient size be allotted to 

 the use of the cows, in extent proportionate to the farm and 

 the number it can support. If not rich by nature, this pasture- 

 ground must be made very fertile by laying down with choice 

 grass seed?, after fallowing of the land, with ample dunging and 

 liming. An original state of indifferent grass may be much 

 improved by earthy composts in top-dressings, and sowing of 

 grass seeds, harrowing and rolling the surface. Draining must 

 be done on wet lands, and shelter is essential in high situa- 

 tions, procured by erecting a roomy shed with a low roof, and 

 turned from the boisterous aspect of the locality. The corners 

 of the field being planted and covered with tall trcea afford a 

 very agreeable shade during heats and rains, and a clump of 

 trees in the centre of the pasture ground adds to the conve- 

 nience in that respect: the trees being rubbing posts to the 

 necks of the animals, prevent the placing of posts for that pur- 

 pose, which are necessary where no trees grow in the pasture 

 field. A constant and ample aujiply of fresh water is essen- 

 tially necessary, aud is best contained in iron troughs that are 

 placed in convenient use, aud supplied by means of ball-cocks 

 with water conveyed in pipes from springs on higher grounds, 

 or from the provision of the farmery which adjoins. 



The most approved arrangement of farm buildings directs 

 an open fiont of the square form, to look to the quarter of the 

 heavens ranging from east to south west, which presents two 

 gable ends on the extremity of the east and west wings of the 

 farmery. Either of these ends — most eligibly the western— may 

 form the cowshed, tliat is entered by a door in the end, to 

 which the gate into the pasture field is immediately contiguous. 

 This proximity affords ease to the animals in a short travel 

 from the rest to the search of food. The shed is ten feet high 

 in the side walks, and twenty feet in width, affording eight feet 

 for the length of the animal standing, five feet behind, aud 

 four feet for a walk in front of the meat troughs, The ani- 



mals stand in trevisca of eight feet in width, in which two cows 

 are tied to stakes placed on each side of the division. This 

 allows four feet to each animal, which is generally sufficient. 

 The floor is pitched with stones, with an inclination, to dis- 

 charge all moisture to the cavity of the posterior walk. The 

 ventilation is effected by iron gratings at the bottom of the 

 side walls, and by slit boards at the top of the roof, which can 

 be opened and shut at pleasure. This provision is moat neces- 

 sary in all cases of heavy and abundant respiration as pro- 

 ceeds from such a large quantity of food undergoing the 

 ruminant process in the paunch of milch cows. It is one 

 chief provision of the cow-shed. 



The front door of the cow-shed opens into a yard of the 

 farmery, from which the winter cattle are removed, from May till 

 October, leaving the use of it during the summer to the milch 

 cows. In this yard are provided a shelter shed, racks for food, 

 and a fresh and ample supply of water; and in it a number of 

 the cows are accommodated with a most comfortable lodging, 

 and have a supply over night of vetches and clovers in the 

 winter and spring kinds, and in the firat and second crops 

 of the latter plant. This consumption of green food, accom- 

 panied with an ample supply of straw for litter, will yield much 

 manure, relieves the cow-shed of a contaminated breatliing, and 

 lodges the animals very comfortably both in the shed aud the 

 yard. This supply of green food to milch cows is required, to 

 encourage the quantity of milk, maintain the animals in good 

 condition, and to increase the quantity of dung. The vora- 

 cious maw of milch cows is seldom satiated, aud requires a 

 constant abundance. 



Calf-pens form the next house to the cow-shed in the wing 

 of the farmery, and for the convenience of being suckled. The 

 arrangement directs a centre walk of four feet, having on each 

 side of it the pens of seven feet in length, and four feet in 

 width, containing one calf, with divisions of board, aud a floor 

 thickly pierced with auger holes, which discharge all moisture 

 into a vacuum of one foot underneath, made for that purpose, 

 and for a freshness of air. This separation of the animals pre- 

 vents any disturbance by sucking and goring, and affords au 

 cany access to the animal when wanted. Where veal suckling 

 is practised, or where the weaning calves suck the dam, the 

 animal is led by halter from the pen to the cow-shed, and when 

 fully satisfied the calf is returned to its apartment. Where 

 milk is given by band, a slip-board iu the door of the pen allows 

 the head of the calf to pass into the pail outside, drink the 

 milk, and withdraw, when the board is slipped into a close 

 position. In both ways the animal enjoys a perfect stillnefs. 

 A rack is placed on the top of the partitions, and in it are 

 placed tender vetches and clovers, which the animal learns to 

 eat, and also to lick chalk, rocksalt, aud bruised cake, that are 

 placed in a box in a corner of the pen. These provisions em- 

 ploy the animal, and lead into future use, and a great benefit. 



A door opens from the house of calf-pens into a yard of the 

 farmery, as with the cow-shed, and in this yard, after the first of 

 May, the older calves are lodged, with the provision of ample 

 littering, vetches and clovers in racks, fresh water in troughs, 

 and a shelter shed. The animals arc led to be suckled once a 

 day, or oftener as may be approved, and again returned into 

 the yard, as in the pens. When removed by age beyond the 

 use of milk, a lot of calves can be weaned iu this yard in 

 winter ; but it it be?t used iu weaning the animals gradually 



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