CHAPTER VIII 

 CALVING TIME 



AS good parentage is of great value in the 

 human race, so we look for, and have every 

 reason to expect, cows to be better cows which have 

 come from a long line of heavy-milking ancestors. 

 It is within the control of the breeder of the calf 

 to see that both her sire and dam come of good 

 milking stock. Especially must the head of the 

 herd be a pure-bred, healthy animal, from a good 

 strain of milk-producing stock. When one notes 

 so much carelessness in the laying of the founda- 

 tion of the dairy herd, too strong emphasis cannot 

 be laid upon starting right. 



The best dairy herds are built up by raising the 

 best heifer calves from one's own best cows. 

 Calves from cows that have been in good condi- 

 tion before calving are invariably the strongest. 

 A cow must be well fed and cared for if she is 

 to keep up a flow of milk and at the same time 

 nourish her unborn young. She should have a rest 

 from milking of from six to eight weeks, in order 

 to produce a vigorous calf and do better during 

 her next milking period. If persistent in keeping 

 up her milk-flow, leaving a little milk in the udder, 



[so] 



