404 FARM ANIMALS 
The blood surging through the udder just after the birth 
of an offspring stimulates the cells to great activity and 
milk is secreted. 
8. Colostrum.—The first milk at birth has a rather 
pungent taste and also a peculiar smell. It is known as 
colostrum. It exercises a purgative action in the intes- 
tines, and is a natural medicine for removing the mate- 
rial accumulated in the intestines before birth. On ac- 
count of this a newly born offspring should not be denied 
In Mup Up To THEIR KNEES 
If it is this way outside, it must be just as bad inside the barn, and under such 
conditions big yields over a long milking period cannot be expected. 
its mother’s milk during the first two or three days after 
birth. Colostrum contains less water and much more 
albumen than ordinary milk. In the course of four or 
five days albumen normally changes into casein, water 
proportionately increases, and ordinary milk from now on 
is secreted. 
9. Length of milking period.—Before the milk-giving 
tendencies of cows were cultivated by breeding, selection 
and stimulation just enough milk was secreted to nour- 
ish an offspring until it was sufficiently strong to take 
care of itself. Under man’s nurture and care the cow 
