CATTLE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



161 



for this : the first is, that after a long pe- 

 riod of milking, the strength and consti- 

 tution of the cow require a little respite. 

 A more important reason, however, is, 

 that from some cause that has never been 

 fully explained, the mixture of the old 

 milk, and the new secretion that nature 

 prepares for the expected calf, produces 

 frequently great irritation and inflamma- 

 tion in the udder, and obstinate garget is 

 apt to ensue. 



During the early period of gestation the 

 animal may, and should be, tolerably well 

 fed, for she has to provide milk for the 

 dairy and nourishment for the foetus ; yet 

 even here there should be moderation 

 and care ; but when she is dried her food 

 should be considerably diminished. She 

 should not be too fat or full of blood at 

 the time of calving, for that is the fre- 

 quent cause of difficult labor, garget, milk- 

 fever, and death. There are few things in 

 which the farmer errs more than in this. 

 There maybe an error in starving her 

 before she calves, but it is a much more 

 dangerous one to bring her in too high 

 condition. 



Some cows are apt to slink their calves, 

 or to produce them dead befor their time. 

 This generally happens about the middle 

 of their pregnancy. If about that time a 

 cow is uneasy, feverish, off her food, or 

 wandering about in search of something 

 for which she seems to have a longing, or 

 most greedily and ravenously devouring 

 some particular kind of food, she should 

 be bled and physicked with Purging Drink 

 No. 2. If she is not quieted, she should 

 be bled and physicked again in the course 

 of three or four days. She should be 

 immediately removed from the other cows; 

 for should she slink her calf among them, 

 it is not improbable that some, or even 

 all, of the others will do the same. This 

 is not easily accounted for, but it is per- 

 fectly true. The cow that slinks her calf 

 will often require much attention. She 

 should always be physicked, and in most 

 cases bled, and after that the best thing to 

 be done with her is to fatten her for the 

 butcher; for she will probably do the 

 same again, and teach others the habit. 



When the ninth calendar month has 

 nearly expired (see Cows, Gestation in,) 

 the cow should be diligently looked after. 

 She should be brought as near to the 

 house as can be conveniently done ; she 



should lose three or four quarts of blood, 

 unless she is very poor, and she should 

 most certainly be physicked. It will be 

 better if she can be separated from the 

 other cows ; and, although it may not be 

 prudent to house her entirely, there should 

 be some shed or shelter into which she 

 may go. 



When it appears that labor is close at 

 hand, she should be driven gently to the 

 cow-house, and for a while left quite 

 alone. She will do better by herself than 

 if she is often disturbed by one and 

 another looking in upon and watching, 

 her. If, however, she is discovered in 

 the act of calving in the homestead, she 

 should not be moved, however exposed 

 may be her situation. It would some- 

 times be dangerous to drive her even a 

 hundred yards. 



The usual symptoms of the approach 

 of calving are uneasiness, slight lifting of 

 the tail, lying down and getting up, the 

 evident labor-throe, gentle at first, and 

 increasing in force, and the commence- 

 ment of the protrusion of the membranes 

 from her shape. The still earlier symp- 

 toms, and preceding the labor by a few 

 days, are enlargement of the udder, and 

 redness of the space between her shape 

 and the udder. 



The labor having actually commenced, 

 the membranes will more and more pro- 

 trude until they break, and the fluid by 

 which the calf is surrounded will escape. 

 If her pains are strong, the cow should 

 for a while be scarcely meddled with; 

 but if an hour or more elapses, and no 

 portion of the calf presents itself, the 

 hand, well greased, should be introdued, 

 in order to ascertain the situation and 

 position of the calf. The natural position 

 is with the fore-feet presenting, and the 

 muzzle lying upon the fore-legs. If the 

 fetus is found in this position, and ad- 

 vanced into the passage, some time longer 

 should be allowed to see what nature will 

 do ; and the strength of the animal may, . 

 if necessary, be supported by some gruel, 

 with which a pint of warm ale has been, 

 mixed, being horned down. As soon,, 

 however, as the throes begin to weaken,, 

 and before that, if no progess has been 

 made, manual assistance must be ren- 

 dered. 



Here it will be recollected that there 

 are two objects to be accomplished — the 



