HANDLING A DAIRY HERD FOR PROFIT 55 



to milking without her calf quite readily, and thus 

 there will be no trouble of breaking her in. The 

 heifer should be put to the bull when eighteen 

 months of age, so that she may be rising two and 

 a half years when she drops her first calf. This 

 refers, of course, to vigorous, well-grown young 

 dairy stock. If the farmer leaves this later, one 

 year's milk is lost, one calf less in her lifetime, and 

 there is therefore an extra year to feed her. Not 

 only that, if young cows be left for another year 

 they are liable to put on flesh instead of making 

 milk, and this tendency then exists right through 

 their lives. // is therefore advisable to breed early, 

 provided the stock is well grown. In handling a 

 dairy cow remember, above all things she is a 

 business proposition a means of swelling your 

 bank account, and you will then not go far wrong. 

 But remember, also, if you try to enrich yourself at 

 the expense of your cow you are only courting 

 disaster. The dairy cow looks upon good food and 

 shelter as her right, and when she gets her " rights " 

 she makes it her duty to repay you bountifully. 



Keep the bull in the sight of the cows as much 

 as possible, and at night have him near them, but 

 do not let him wander about among them at will. 

 Stable the bull in all weathers and seasons of the 

 year and feed him. Groom him also and treat him 

 as you would a valuable horse. Unless the dairy 

 farmer is prepared to do all this, dairying is not his 



