allowing them to drink when ever they please. With respect to 

 the time of breeding heifers much depends upon the condition, 

 but it is certain that heifers will do better to calve in the early 

 spring and go out on the pasture during the lactation period, as 

 two year and three year old heifers are still teething and if en- 

 tirely on dry feed as they would be, calving in the autumn, the 

 feed will not be so well digested, due to shedding their two year 

 old teeth. Some breeders are apt to condemn a heifer as a bad 

 milker with her first calf due to this very reason and on her 

 coming fresh with her second calf have made outstanding records. 



We advise not pushing a two year old heifer, milking her 

 twice a day to develop her milking qualities gradually, but of 

 course milking every eight hours will give you 20 to 25% more 

 milk, especially if the cow has a loose box and self watering 

 bowl. 



Cows on official test are milked three times a day until such 

 a time that they are not giving enough to make this worth while, 

 usually five to seven months, which brings us to the fact that the 

 Shorthorn is said to be not a long duration milker. This is not 

 borne out by facts. I find the average is the same in all breeds. 

 I find short period milkers in the straight dairy breeds. I would 

 rather have a Shorthorn cow give a reasonable quantity of milk 

 for nine months than a cow giving the same milk from 12 to 15 

 months, as the Shorthorn cow when dry is much cheaper to keep. 

 She can be turned out around a straw stack and get fat where a 

 straight dairy breed would starve. 



I would point out to those engaging in the business and 

 wishing to dispose of their surplus stock, never to offer anything 

 if possible out of condition, for one thing you do not realize its 

 value and it does you and the breed no credit. Remember, in 

 nine cases out of ten, $50 worth of feed will bring you two hun- 

 dred dollars additional from your sale. There is one time to sell 

 a dairy Shorthorn cow, either when she is springing or just fresh 

 when you will realize the full value of the cow, because at this 

 period she is in good condition while when milking she milks 

 flesh into the bucket. I could relate many instances to bear out 

 this point. 



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