THE SILO AND SILAGE 139 



KICKING COWS 



There is no excuse for having a kicking cow 

 in the herd. The kicking cow is invariably made 

 so by her attendant. If a cow is handled before 

 she comes in, so as to become familiar with her at- 

 tendant, and has been kindly treated, there will be 

 no trouble. If a cow or heifer gets the habit of 

 kicking, or seems in the way of forming the habit, 

 one of the following remedies is suggested: A 

 strap or rope buckled tightly around the body just 

 in front of the udder and the hips. This usually 

 effects a cure. Another method which has been 

 successfully tried is to use a stick about eighteen 

 or twenty inches long, crooked and hollowed so as 

 to fit the leg at the hock joint. This is fastened by 

 a strap at the top, another just above the hock, and 

 a third several inches below it, the straps being 

 made long enough to go around the leg and some 

 to spare, and with the tongue holes close together. 

 The middle strap is buckled first and then the 

 upper and then the lower one. After this is put 

 on the cow will try to kick, but she will soon dis- 

 cover its impossibility. After a few trials there 

 will be little difficulty, and it usually is but a short 

 time before the cow will stand without the con- 

 trivance. In using this appliance, the dairyman must 

 be patient with the cow. She must be made to 

 know that she is not to be hurt, except as she hurts 

 herself. The stool described elsewhere should be 

 used, and the pail protected by placing the knee 

 against the cow's leg. When she tries to kick 

 she cannot get her leg forward nor into the pail. 



