176 DAIRY HERD MANAGEMENT 



feed and comfort, if regularity is lacking, a cow will not yield 

 what she otherwise would. 



A dog on a dairy farm may or may not be a nuisance ; that 

 depends upon his character and training. The ordinary sort, 

 however, is an expensive luxury which is not to be recommended. 

 A good Shepherd or Collie, however, may very readily be trained 

 not only to save many steps, but also to do general police duty on 

 a livestock farm and thereby be of real value. 



QUESTIONS 



1. What is the normal gestation period for cows? 



2. What time of the year is generally the best time for cows to freshen? 



Why? 



3. How may a spring cow be put on to a fall-calving schedule? 



4. How much rest does a cow need between lactation periods? 



5. Tell how to dry off a cow. 



G. How should the dry cow be fed? 



7. What is meant by "conditioning" a cow? 



8. How may the manure serve as an index in feeding? 

 !). When should cows be milked before calving? 



10. What care should be given at calving time? 



11. How should the cow be cared for after calving? 



12. How many times a day should a cow be milked when fresh? 



13. At what time does a cow give most milk? 



14. How soon after calving ought a cow to be bred? 



15._What percentage of a mature cow's record is the first year of work? 

 Second year ? Third year ? 



16. How may the feed affect the test of milk ? 



17. What effect has a drought on the quality of milk? 



18. What effect does turning cows out to pasture in the spring have upon 



the quality of milk yielded? 



19. Which is preferable, a large or a small pasture for cows? 



20. How many acres are required to pasture a cow? 



21. How is midsummer short pasture to be met? 



22. How should milking be done? 



23. What is the value of the Heglund method of milking? 



24. How do the first and the last milk drawn from a cow differ? 



25. What of the milking machine? Have you seen one work? 



26. What temperature is best suited to dairy cows? 



27. Discuss light in the dairy barn. 



28. What is the best way to dehorn ? 



20. How may hard milking be made easier? 



