212 



FARMERS' REGISTER^CALVING. 



ously supposed to be greatly superioriii flavor and 

 fineness of the grain. 



Some very iiilerestmg experiments', respecting 

 the periods of gestation in different animols, were 

 made a few years ago by M. Teissier, of the So- 

 ciety for the Encouragement of Arts, at Parisj 

 from which it appears, that out of 575 cows, 



21 calved between the 240th and 270th dav; mean 



term 259^ 

 544 270th 239th 282 



10 299th 321st 303 



Thus, between the shortest and the longest gesta- 

 tion there was a difference of eighty-one days, 

 wliich is more than one fourth of the mean dura- 

 tion. 



As cows are very subject to abortion, when im- 

 properly treated during gestation, they ought to be 

 observed with more tlian ordinary care through the 

 whole of that period, lest they sliould. leap ditches, 

 &c., and on no account should they be suffered to 

 draw in the plough or other carriao-e, which is the 

 practice in some countries. For about a month or 

 six weeks before the time of calving, it will be ad- 

 visable to turn the cow to grass, if in the spring; 

 but if it happen in the winter, she should be fed 

 with the best hay, and some turnips, potatoes, car- 

 rots, or other winter fodder, or whh a "mixture of 

 bran and oat or bean meal, to which grains may 

 sometimes be added; or, should these not be at hand, 

 the mere boiling of a portion of the hay, and giv- 

 ing it along Avith the water, when cool, vviD be 

 found to keep her body in a healthful state foi* calv- 

 ing, and also to improve her milk. It is not proper 

 that she should be made fat, because the fatter a 

 cow is, the less milk is given; and yet, if she be too 

 poor, thei"e is danger lest she should fall in 

 calving. 



When the term of gestation is nearly complete, 

 the animal should be kept apart from other cattle, 

 in a quiet close, near tile homestead, in order that 

 she should be under constant observation, and that 

 assistance may be ready in case of a difficult birth; 

 and, as the "final period approaches, attention should 

 be paid to keep her bowels open, by means of laxa- 

 tive drinks. If the cow should be so much ex- 

 hausted in calving, as that the throes are not suf- 

 ficient to produce the birth, she should occasion- 

 ally have a drink of two or three quarts of gruel, 

 and a pint of ale, which will give her strength to 

 make further efforts to get rid of the calfj and will 

 also assist the operation. Cows sometimes calve 

 in a recumbent posture, ami care should be taken 

 that the place where they lie down is. not on a 

 steep descent; for in that case, the calf is apt to be 

 brought prematurely forward, nnd, by the straining 

 and irritation it produces, atcdious, andsometimes 

 dangerous calving is occasioned. But, on the con- 

 trary, when the act of calving has actually com- 

 menced, the operation is aided by the animal bc- 

 ing^laid on a descent. 



The day and night afer a cow has calved, she 

 is usually kept in the house, and allowed tepid or 

 lukewarm water only for her drink. The proprie- 

 ty of this practice has, however, been questioned, 

 and some eminent breeders are of opinion that 

 housing, unles;? in veiy cJiill, or wet weather, is 

 unnecessary; and that cold water is better than 

 Avarm. On this we may observe, that the more 

 nature is left to direct her own operations, the bet- 

 ler; j^et there can be no doubt that, in particular 



instances, she may be aided not only without mju- 

 ry, but with advantage: peijia^is, therefore, in very 

 fine weather, all that maybe necessary will be to 

 watch the cow attentively, lest she should require 

 aid, but not to use any artificial means unless she 

 may CA-idently heed assistance. In cold weather, 

 there can be little doubt that it is most advisable to 

 house her, and not onl}- to take the chill off the 

 water, but to allow her some gmeL On the day 

 following she may be turned out about noon, and 

 be regularly taken in during the night, lor three or 

 four successive days. The animals thus iioused 

 should be kept till the morning cold is dispersed^ 

 previoudy to their being turned \ into the field, 

 othei'wise a premature exposure to the damp at- 

 mosphere cannot fail of giTatly weakening tlrem. 



Thi} hints above stated are given on the suppo- 

 sition that the cow is well, no difficulty having 

 happened during the time of calving; and that ?hc 

 has not slipped, or cast her calf before its full time. 

 It should be obsen'ed, that the proper position of a 

 calf, while in tlie uterus, is with its lore-feet and 

 head fbrennost, its back being towards the cow's 

 back, and its two fore -feet lying parallel to the 

 sides of its head. When the foetus appears in any 

 other manner, it is termed an Ainnaiiiral position; 

 and the extraction of the calf, under these circum- 

 stances, requiiTs the utmost steadiness and dexte- 

 rity; as, however, no instructions can be adequate 

 to every possible case, it will alwaj-s be necessary 

 where this event is apprehended, immediately to 

 apply to some expert cow doctor, lest tlie loss of a 

 valuable animal should be the consequence of in- 

 judicious treatment. During this painful opera- 

 tion, particular attention should be given that the 

 pudendum, or baron, as it is sometimes called, be 

 not lacerated or; torn; should this, however, take 

 place, the part must, be sewed gently up; and, if it 

 be swollen, it ought to be washed with lukewarn^ 

 milk and water. 



But, where a cow slip, -or casts her calf prema- 

 turely, she must be tended with great care; and, 

 whatever may be the cause, whether abusive treat- 

 ment, violent exercise, bruises or blows, or that un- 

 natural api^etite known by the name of longing, 

 every animal that has slipped her calf should be 

 careliilly separated fi'om tlie rest of the herd.* 

 Cleanliness, which is an essential requisite in the 

 general management of cattle, ought in this in- 

 stance to be an object of special attention; and, as 

 cows which are liable to drop their calves usually 

 evince some preparatory symptoms between the 

 cause of the abortion and the actual slipping of the 

 foitus, it will not be altogether useless to bleed them 

 two or three times, as this expedient has sometimes 

 operated as a preventive. 



After, however, the calf is produced, it will be 

 necessary to assist the natural flmctions of the ani- 



* This latter direction should be scrupulously attend- 

 ed to; for, however extraordinary it may appear, re- 

 peated experience has proved tliat the disease IS infec- 

 tions. Various reasons have been assigned, but none 

 satisfactorily account for if; though it appears to be oc- 

 casioned by spine peculiar odor issuing from cows 

 which are thus affected: tlie fact, however, having been 

 ascertained, should be guarded against. It is also 

 worthy of remark, that cows which have once slipped 

 a calf are more liable than others to a recurrence of 

 miscarriage. 



