Hunnicutt: Zebu Cattle in Brazil 



199 



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MILKING IN BRAZIL 



On the big ranches of Brazil the cows are onh^ milked once daily — in the morning. They 

 yield milk in most cases only while they have a calf at their sides. At milking time the 

 calf is first turned into the corral with its mother and allowed to nurse; after it has suffi- 

 cient nourishment, it is tied to the cow's right foreleg, the cow's hind legs are tied together, 

 and the milker then "pails" her. In the photograph the calf is seen tied to his mother, 

 with his head hidden by her dewlap. The milking qualities of zebus are somewhat dis- 

 puted, but under favorable conditions it appears that they yield one or two gallons a 

 day, and that the milk is of excellent quality. (Fig. 4.) 



nurse. When the milker thinks it is 

 time to check activities in that connec- 

 tion he ties the calf to the right foreleg 

 of his mother, puts a rope around each 

 of the hind legs of the cow, just above 

 the hock, and ties them lightly together ; 

 then places the bucket between his 

 knees and finishes the milk flow which 

 the calf started. 



We found that ticks will catch to 

 some extent on a zebu, but do not seem 

 to bother them at all. I have never 

 known of a case where a native-born or 

 imported zebu had tick fever. They 

 are troubled to some extent with black- 

 leg, against which vaccination is prac- 

 ticed; and also by the ox warble 

 {Hypoderma lineata'l) 



It has been alleged that the zchn 

 hybrids are very wild, even savage, as 

 far as the third or fourth generation, 

 no matter how docile the stock on which 

 they are crossed. There is some truth 

 in this, at least. Thev cannot be called 



tame cattle ; but on the farms of the two 

 gentlemen mentioned above I had 

 occasion to note that where these 

 cattle are carefully treated they give 

 little or no trouble. I saw no cows 

 milked that it was necessary to tie up 

 in a trunk, as is claimed by some to be 

 necessary. The purebred calves are 

 caught every day and brushed so as to 

 accustom them to handling. 



Let me now give some opinions pro 

 and con about the zebu from men who 

 know him. 



PRAISE OF THE ZEBU 



Sr. Theopompo de Almeida^ says, "I 

 have imported breeding stock of various 

 European breeds, among them Durham, 

 Simmenthal, Brown Swiss, Polled Angus 

 and Hereford ; and in spite of the greatest 

 efforts in wcll-cared-for artificial pas- 

 tures to give the merited attention, 

 the result has always bsen negative; 

 however the zebu progresses admirably. 



7 Minas Geraes, July 15, 1914, p. 2. 



