754 Jonrnal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Dec, 1916. 



BREAKING IN HEIFERS. 



The breaking in of heifers to the pail is a very imiportant stage in 

 the life of a cow, as upon the management of her at this time depends 

 to a great extent her usefulness as a dairy cow. A writer in the " Fanner 

 and Stockbreeder " points out that if she is badly broken in it will 

 result in her always being fidgety and troublesome at milking time, 

 moving constantly and kicking at her milker. A cow that behaves 

 thus, unless intrusted to a very conscientious and persevering person to 

 milk, is seldom stripped properly, as after a time the milker's patience 

 becomes exhausted, besides which he is apt to stop' operations pre- 

 maturely for fear of the cow turning the full bucket of milk over for 

 the sake of his wanting to extract the last few drops. Moreover, a cow 

 that is irritable and nervous when being milked does not usually let her 

 milk down freely, which habit tends to diminish the supply. 



Of course there are a few cows which are naturally not of a placid 

 disiposition, and which, even with careful treatment, are nervous and 

 tidgety. But it is more often than not due to insufficient care and 

 patience being exercised when they calve down for the first time. It 

 oTten happens, that down-calving heifers have been graziiig on some out- 

 lying land, where they seldom see a living soul, and the change from 

 this to a domesticated life when they calvei is more than alarming for 

 the heifer. Tt is not surprising that endless trouble is experienced before 

 they can be taught to^ stand quietly and be milked. It is far the wisest 

 plan to adopt to bring a heifer up to the farm and let her be tied up 

 with the rest of the milking herd a month or so before she is due to 

 calve. She will then at least be accustomed to the subjection of a chain. 

 During the time which elapses before she calves she should be handled 

 and tamed as much as time permits. 



After calving, when suckling her calf, she should have her teats 

 drawn occasionally, and if she is giving more milk than the calf requires, 

 it is a good opportunity to begin milking her, and to do it at the same 

 time as the calf is sucking. She is almost sure to stand quietly while the 

 calf is taking his share, and this will use her to the sensation of being 

 hand-milked almost without her having realized what has taken place. 

 For the first few times it is better not to iput a pail under her, bul 

 milk on the groimd. 



STANDARD TEST COWS. 



QUARTERLY REPORT FOR PERIOD ENDED 30th SEPTEMBER, 1916. 



Altogether 60 cows completed, of which fifteen failed to yield the 

 quantity of fat requisite for a certificate. Unfortunately some cows 

 have again to be left out of the return owing to owners' omission to 

 attend to their registration. The test is confined to pure-bred stock, and 

 only those animals entered in a recognised herd book are eligible, there- 

 fore it is necessary for satisfactory evidence to be submitted that any 

 animal tested has been accepted into a herd book before such cow's 

 name, and her return can be published. By omitting to do this, owners 



