Managing the Dairy Herd 73 



Results at Cornell have been similar to those ex- 

 perienced by shrewd dairymen throughout the United 

 States. They have proven that a good dairy cow 

 should produce at least 5,000 pounds of milk and over 

 200 pounds of butterfat every year. It is easy to un- 

 derstand what this means to the dairymen when it is 

 realized that the average in the United States is less 

 than 3,000 pounds of milk per cow. 



Make use of the Babcock test. It is a simple and 

 cheap and an infallible way of learning the precise val- 

 ue of your cows. It shows you which cow shows a 

 profit and which one does not. It helps you to get 

 rid of the cows that are not profit producers. 



Hints on Handling Dairy Cows. 



The average dairy cow is as nervous as the pro- 

 verbial cat. The more highly bred the cow, the more 

 nervous it is as a rule. Rough handling will always 

 show itself in the decrease in milk yield. It pays to 

 treat your dairy cows gently. If you run or hurry 

 them or allow the dogs to annoy them, or the hired 

 hands to stone, beat or kick them, you will pay for it 

 in decrease in milk yield. Keeping your cows clean 

 means putting dividends into your own pocket. 



Also protect your cows from cold winds and cold 

 storms. 



Too many dairymen do not realize that cows must 

 be treated individually. No two cows can be treated 

 or fed exactly the same. Do not forget for one minute 

 that you lose in profit for every excitement, worry, 

 exposure, abuse or neglect your cows suffer. 



Perhaps we might better first define the meaning of 

 nutritive ration, inasmuch as that term will be used 

 frequently in these instructions on proper feeding. 



