206 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



Whittingham, England, was thus kept continuously in 

 milk for nine years. Cut to such milking there are some 

 objections, as is shown below. 



Management relating to breeding. — The aim of fresh- 

 ening dairy cows at certain intervals is to increase the 

 milk flow and, in some instances, also to furnish progeny 

 that can be reared for the dairy. When the first is the 

 only object sought, the potency in the male used is the 

 inost important consideration regardless of blood lines, 

 but when the calves are to be reared for any purpose, 

 then the breeding of the sire becomes very important. 

 If they are to be made into meat or grown for baby beef, 

 pure-bred males only of the beef breeds should be used 

 in service, but should they be wanted for the dairy, then 

 too much care cannot be exercised in the choice of the 

 males used in service with reference to inheritance and 

 purity in breeding pertaining to milk-giving. When the 

 only object is to renew the milk-giving qualities in the 

 cow, even cheap scrub sires may serve the purpose quite 

 as well as costly pure-breds. 



The frequency of such periods of freshening is 

 greatly important. The aim should be to have them occur 

 at intervals of about one year. This would give the 

 cows from nine to ten months for milk production, and 

 the remainder of the year for rest and recuperation. 

 There may be instances in which cows fail to become 

 pregnant at or near the time when this may be desirable. 

 Usually such cows should be disposed of at the end of 

 the year's work, but there may be some instances when 

 it will be profitable to keep them several months longer, 

 and, in the case of valuable pure-breds. for a still longer 

 period, in the hope that their breeding powers may be 

 restored. Some cows will take service under certain 

 conditions which will make the periods of renewal cover 

 less than a full year. The wisdom of such a course is to 

 be questioned, because of the tax which it puts upon the 

 energies of the cow. 



