FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR HOOK— PART X 783 



barn, so that in the early morning the cows can be quickly got in and 

 milked without wading through wet grass. 



DISEASES COMMON TO THE DAIRY HERD. 



It should be stated in this connection that the services of a 

 competent veterinarian are occasionally absolutely necessary and 

 this veterinarian must be on the ground to knoAv all the conditions 

 and to diagnose and treat the case for best results. However, the 

 following treatments have been found very efficient and should be 

 known by all who work with dairy cattle. 



SCOURS OR WHITE SCOURS. 



A treatment which was first used and recommended by Dr. L. A. 

 Klein of the South Carolina experiment station, and which is efficient 

 both for ordinary and white scours, is as follows: One part for- 

 malin to 4,000 parts milk. This dilution may be obtained by 

 making a stock solution of one-half ounce of formalin to fifteen and 

 one-half ounces of water. From this stock solution one teaspoon- 

 ful is added to each pint to be fed the affected calf. 



A mixture of equal parts salol and bizmuth sub-nitrate may be 

 given in connection with and preceding the formalin treatment. 

 A dose of this powder would be about one-fourth of a teaspoonful 

 and should be placed well back on the calf's tongue just prior to 

 giving the milk. This treatment may be repeated on the second 

 day if necessary. 



Another treatment in case the scours are due, solely to indiges- 

 tion is to reduce the feed and give the calf from one and one-half 

 to two tablespoonfuls of castor oil, repeating the dose on the 

 second, day if necessary. Scours in very young calves may be due 

 to the fact that the mother's milk is too rich in butter fat and a 

 change is necessary. 



ABORTION. (Slinking the Calf.) 



Abortion is the term used for the expulsion of the unborn calf 

 at any time before the completion of the full period of pregnancy. 

 It usually occurs at those three week intervals at which a cow 

 would be in heat if not pregnant. In cows abortion may be either 

 contagious or non-contagious. In case one is not sure, a blood 

 test may be made to determine whether or not contagious abortion 

 is in the herd. Information concerning this test may be secured 

 from a competent veterinarian or by writing to the Veterinary 

 division, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. 



Non-Contagious Abortion: Poor condition, weakness, and a too 

 watery state of blood may be a predisposing cause. This may re- 

 sult from poor or scanty feed, excessive drain on the udder while 

 bearing the calf or from feed deficient in certain elements. Slop- 

 ing, slippery stalls, deep gutters, crowding at feed rack, gate or 

 tanTc, excitement, offensive odors and irritant poisons are among 

 the causes. Of the last, ergot is one of the most active and common. 



Contagious Abortion: Contagious abortion spreads very rapidly 

 in a herd and unless extraordinary care is exercised it is very 



