Cleaning and Care of Cows 155 



turition. Ten days from calving should usually elapse 

 before using the milk as certified. 



Care of the cows. It is customary to clip the hair 

 from a considerable portion of the rear of the cow, 

 particularly from the udder, flank, tail, thighs, etc., to 

 facilitate the ease of keeping them clean. Anything 

 that will tend to promote the ease in keeping the 

 cows or the stable clean and, at the same time, not 

 detract from the comfort of the animal, will aid ma- 

 terially in the production of pure milk. In order to 

 prevent the brushing of dust or dirt from the cows 

 by the milkers at milking time, the cows should be 

 thoroughly groomed each day, and lightly groomed or 

 thoroughly brushed before each milking. It should 

 constantly be borne in mind that dust and all fine 

 particles of dirt carry large numbers of bacteria, and 

 that the most successful producer of clean milk 

 devises means by which these undesirable foreign* 

 products may be most perfectly excluded. Conse- 

 quently, the cows should not be fed just before 

 milking time any food that is liable to cause any dust 

 or disagreeable or objectionable odors in the stable. 

 The time for feeding the dry, coarse fodders is 

 immediately after milking, so that the stable may be 

 most effectually free from the dust incident to feed- 

 ing. It is important, also, to use litter or bedding 

 that will make as little dust as possible. Clean, dry 

 pine shavings are popular on this account. While 

 fine -cut wheat or rye straw may be used, yet the 

 shavings are preferred by most dairymen on account 

 of cleanliness and ease of handling. 



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