338 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The first necessity coming under the head of care is a clean, warm, 

 well lighted and well ventilated barn. It should be clean because pure, 

 wholesome milk cannot be produced in a dirty barn. In fact, cleanliness 

 must be recognized as one of the first essentials in milk production. The 

 temperature of the barn should be kept at from 40 degrees to 60 degrees 

 Fahrenheit, for the dairy cow cannot withstand the effect of cold and in- 

 clement weather and at the same time be an economical producer of 

 milk and butter. The fattening animal converts much of its food into 

 fat and thus covering its body can withstand cold weather without 

 difficulty and thrives well under mild exposure. If compelled to, the 

 milk cow will do the same, but her purpose is not to produce beef. If 

 kept in a warm, dry barn she will convert most of her food into milk and 

 butter, retaining only enough to supply the needs of her body. Faithful 

 and deserving of sympathy is the cow that converts a great portion of 

 her food into milk for her master and is then compelled to seek shelter 

 behind a straw stack for protection from the cold, stormy blasts of 

 winter. Experiments performed along this line at the Indiana station 

 show that three cows kept in a warm barn at night and turned out in 

 a lot in the day time produced in 48 days 161 pounds less milk than a 

 like number of cows kept under the same conditions except that they 

 remained out only an hour each day. The better sheltered cows ate 

 much less feed and gained 231 pounds, while the exposed cows lost 33 

 pounds in live weight. 



Calling to mind the fact that these exposed cows were sheltered from 

 the winds by an open shed in day time and had a comfortable barn at 

 night, it is easy to conceive one reason why many cows are not econom- 

 ical producers. Thorough ventilation and an abundance of light in the 

 cow barn are quite as essential, owing to the fact that the dairy cow is 

 confined such a large portion of the year. In a dark, stuffy barn, germs 

 multiply in great rapidity, the cow becomes lacking in vigor, and, even 

 though disease does not result, her opportunities, to produce largely and 

 economically, are handicapped. Seldom do we find a beast whose nervous 

 system is so highly organized as that of the dairy cow, and invariably 

 the greatest producing cows ate those whose nervous systems are most 

 highly organized. Owing to this fact she responds readily to kindness, 

 regularity in feeding, watering and milking. Never can great yields be 

 expected from cows that are cared for by noisy, rough and irregular at- 

 tendants. Grooming does much to quiet the cow and gain her confidence, 

 and experiments that have been conducted show that from 2^2 to 8 per 

 cent may be gained in milk and fat production by regular grooming. 



An all important factor to be considered in caring for the dairy cow 

 is the process of milking. Upon the regularity, gentleness and stick-to- 

 itiveness of the milker greatly depends the quantity and quality of the 

 milk given and the persistency of the cow's work. On one occasion, after 

 failing in every other method to impress upon a milker the importance of 

 extracting every possible drop of milk from the cow's udder at each 

 milking, I induced him to milk the first few strips of one cow's milk 

 in one sample bottle and the last few strips in another, and test them 

 with the Babcock test. The result was the fore milk tested 2 per cent 

 and the strippings 15.2 per cent. After that he could always be 



