126 DAIRY FARMING 



well as for the additional reason that cows may not drink as 

 much as,is needed for the best results. 



In very cold climates it is profitable to warm the water 

 for dairy cows. It is cheaper to warm the water with a tank 

 heater by burning coal or wood than to supply the necessary 

 heat by allowing the animal to burn high-priced feed in its 

 body for this purpose. A cow producing 25 pounds of milk 

 daily requires about 1 pound of corn daily to warm the water 

 used if it be given at the freezing point. Larger producers 

 would require a correspondingly larger amount for this pur- 

 pose. An even more important reason for warming water 

 is that a heavy-milking cow will not drink enough water if 

 it is near the freezing temperature. The activities of the 

 organs of digestion and milk secretion are almost stopped 

 for a while if a cow drinks 30 or 40 pounds of ice water. 

 Where water is warmed it is generally brought to a tempera- 

 ture of about 60 F. 



117. Turning on Pasture. Cattle are pastured in summer 

 over the greater part of this country and every owner of a 

 cow welcomes the time when the cow may be turned out to 

 pasture. In changing from dry to green feed it is best to go 

 somewhat slowly, especially with heavy-milking cows. The 

 young immature grasses are mostly water and it is almost 

 impossible for a heavy-milking cow to eat enough to supply 

 the necessary nutrients. 



Another reason for making the change slowly is the effect 

 upon the taste of the milk. When a cow is changed suddenly 

 from grain to grass, the milk may be given a strong taste ; 

 while if this change is made gradually, little or no change in 

 taste is noticed. 



A common mistake is to pasture too closely^ in the fall and 

 to turn out too early in the spring. The cows should be 



