154 



DAIRY HERD MANAGEMENT 



can be liberally fed, yet so bandied as to produce little or no 

 profit. Tbe common cow may be bandied so as to increase ber 

 production from twenty-five to fifty per cent over present yields. 



Gestation Period. — Tbe length of time between service and 

 tbe delivery of tbe calf is usually 280 to 285 days, or a little 

 more tban 9 montbs. It averages a little longer for bull tban 

 for beif er calves. In order tbat tbe cow may be dried off at tbe 

 rigbt time it is necessary tbat record be kept of tbe date of 

 service of every cow. 



Time to Freshen. — Under most conditions in tbe United 

 States, cows sbould be bred to fresben in tbe fall ; tbe calves 

 to be dropped between October 1st and January 1st. If rea- 



Fig. 56. — Evidence of thrift and faith. 



sonably well boused (Figs. 56 and 57), cows are more com- 

 fortable in winter tban in summer. Tbis saves feed. Tbey 

 likewise travel about mucb less, wbicb also is economy. These 

 facts enable tbe cow to yield milk upon less feed in winter than 

 in summer. This becomes tbe more important when consider- 

 able quantities of feed are purchased or where forage crops are 

 raised on high-priced land. 



Nature forces the cow to yield milk for at least a few months 

 after calving for the sustenance of its own calf. Thus tbe cow 

 when comfortably housed, liberally fed and kindly treated may 

 be expected to milk during the entire winter months. After a 

 period of four to seven months most cows begin to slack off in 



