28 BETTER DAIRY FARMING 



vided the spraying is done at least an hour before milking. Spray 

 thoroughly but lightly, avoiding the head, bag, and between the 

 legs. Not much danger need be feared of the spray burning the 

 hide unless spilled on. 



51. Winter vs. summer dairying.— It has been clearly 

 shown that, where a man has easy access to a year-round market 

 for his milk, winter dairying is in general the more profitable. 

 With proper feeding and management, fall-calving cows produce 

 the largest annual yield. The flow is large during the winter, 

 while in the spring, the time when the yield is falling rapidly due 

 to advancing lactation, the flow is stimulated by turning the 

 animals on pasture. On the other hand, with cows freshening in 

 the spring, the heat and flies and poor pasture of mid-summer are 

 apt to cause a marked shrinkage in the flow despite supple- 

 mentary feed. Neither will heavy feeding, after the cows are 

 brought in for the winter, bring the flow back. Thus in summer 

 milk production there is apt to be an abnormal shrinkage in the 

 flow toward the end of the lactation, instead of the stimulus to 

 sustained flow caused by the turning out on pasture at a corre- 

 sponding period in the lactation in winter dairying. In the latter, 

 also, the maximum flow corresponds with the period of highest 

 price. Thus, fall freshening means both more milk and a better 

 price for it. There are many other advantages of fall freshening. 

 The young calves can be raised with less trouble in the winter 

 than in the hot summer months. Fall calves can be raised more 

 cheaply because they can be pastured the first summer. Summer 

 dairying means maximum production when the farmer is busiest 

 with his crops. 



52. Winter dairying increases yield. — It must be remem- 

 bered that the increased yield under winter dairying will only be 

 realized if the cows are fed so as to produce all the milk of which 

 they are capable during the winter months. They must have 

 plenty of good roughage and a grain mixture of the proper protein 

 content in accordance with their production. 



For the dairyman who sells his product to the cheese factory 

 and who has no market after the factory closes, summer dairying 



