THE DISPOSAL OF COWS 285 



tiresome and tedious. Other cows are unable to retain 

 all the milk in the udder between the times of milkinsr, 

 owing to defective formation of the organs that relate 

 to the retention of milk. Cows defective in these respects 

 are not desirable. 



Cows may be good producers and yet, owing to 

 their restlessness and irritable disposition, are less de- 

 sirable than others more docile and yet the equal of the 

 former in producing ability. Of course, it may be wise 

 for a time to retain such animals until others that are 

 more desirable become sufficiently numerous in the herd 

 to admit of discarding those less desirable. 



When the dairyman rears his own cows, character- 

 istics that relate to transmission may be about as valu- 

 able as those that relate to the production of milk. In 

 some instances, all the female progeny of a cow prove 

 to be equal, if not superior, to the dam in producing 

 power, while in others they all prove inferior. It is not 

 necessary to sa}^ which of these female progeny should 

 be retained. 



The ability to breed regularly is an important factor 

 in the cow in the farm dairy. Nature has decreed that 

 the largest returns in milk are secured in the months 

 that immediately follow the birth of the calf. Then 

 follows gradual declension until the milk flow finally 

 ceases. This renewing of the power in the cow, so to 

 speak, to produce a maximum quantity of milk, should 

 occur not seldomer than once a year. If she fails to 

 breed thus frequently, her value for retention in the 

 dairy is proportionately lowered. 



The age to which cows may profitably be kept in 

 the dairy cannot be fixed by rule. This question is dis- 

 cussed more fully by the author in the book, " Feeding 

 Farm Animals," pages 431-433. It may be said here, 

 however, that the following considerations will aid in 

 determining the age limit to which a dairy cow may be 

 kept: She should be retained (i) as long as she comes 



