MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE 91 



light and not very abundant. A bran mash, made by moisten- 

 ing 1 >ran with warm water, is well adapted as a grain ration 

 for the first day. If the udder is swollen and congested, 

 the i^rain ration should be increased very slowly until this 

 condition disappears. As a rule at least two weeks are re- 

 quired to get the cow on a full ration. No alarm need be 

 felt i f the udder remains hard and somewhat congested for a 

 few lays provided milk can be drawn from each quarter. 



The cow should be watched closely for the first 48 hours 

 for symptoms of milk fever. This is most likely to occur 

 with the heaviest producers and never with heifers at their 

 first freshening. Every manager of high-producing cows 

 should become familiar with the symptoms of milk fever 

 and have the apparatus on hand to treat it promptly. 



79. Management of Young Stock. The cheapest way to 

 raise young stock and the way that produces the most vig- 

 orous animals, is to allow them to run loose in open sheds 

 and tie them up only while they eat their grain feed. Some 

 farmers also follow this system with milking cows with good 

 results. The system is best adapted to regions that have an 

 abundance of straw as large amounts of bedding are required. 



80. Care and Management of the Bull. The bull calf 

 should be fed in the same manner as a heifer of the same age. 

 He should always be well fed during the entire period of 

 growth as an undersized animal is not desirable. As a winter 

 ration clover, alfalfa, or other legume hay is best adapted to 

 his needs, while for grain a mixture of corn with oats, bran, 

 or oilmeal is excellent. The same ration that is fed to cows in 

 milk may be used. There is no advantage in having the 

 young bull fat, but he should be kept at least in moderate 

 flesh. When the roughage is of good quality the mature bull 

 requires little or no grain to keep him in moderate flesh. 



