GIVING THE COW A REST 157 



smned, it is found that winter dairying serves to produce more 

 manure at a time of the year when it can be saved. 



Winter dairying is more profitable than summer dairying, 

 then, because the cow will give more milk, will give the bulk of 

 it when prices are highest and when labor is cheapest, and 

 will produce more manure when it can be saved. In addition, 

 the calf born in the autumn has the advantage over spring- 

 born calves, as noted elsewhere. 



Changing to the Fall Basis. — Many cows are still permitted 

 to freshen in early spring. How they shall be put upon the 

 fall basis varies with the individual animals in question, but it 

 will usually be found more economical to force the herd to 

 " back up," in other words, the cow is to be bred as soon after 

 calving as possible, thus causing her to drop the next calf in 

 less than a year from the time she previously freshened. By 

 again breeding quickly it is possible to force the calving period 

 back into the early winter or late fall. If, however, the cow in 

 question be of dairy breeding, and intense dairy temperament, 

 to such an extent that oestrum does not appear for three to six 

 months after calving, it will be practically necessary to breed as 

 soon as possible and to let the calf come when it will. Such ani- 

 mals, however, will be found the most persistent milkers, which 

 will enable them to give milk a year and a half, if necessary. It 

 is much easier to control the time of calving with the Holstein, 

 Ayrshire, or Brown Swiss, than with the Jersey or Guernsey. 



Giving the Cow a Rest. — The yielding of two to four pounds 

 of solid feed per day in milk is very exhausting to the cow's 

 system. When to this is added the burden of the growth of 

 the calf, a very considerable amount of work is being done. In 

 order, therefore, that the calf may be amply nourished, and 

 born strong, and that the cow herself may have recuperated in 

 flesh sufficient to enter upon a new lactation period strongly, it 

 is highly advisable that the cow be given a rest of at least four, 

 and better, six weeks. With the majority of cows no special 

 effort need be made to cause them to go dry, but with the 

 high type dairy animal with the intense dairy temperament, there 

 is likelihood that the secretion of milk in considerable quan- 



