206 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Cows should always be treated with kindness. No per- 

 son fit to be a dairyman will treat them otherwise. The 

 character of a person is shown by the way he handles cows 

 and other livestock. Kindness pays in dollars and cents, but 

 such incentive should not be necessary to obtain for the cow 

 the treatment that is justly due her. 



Season of Year for Freshening 



The influence of the season of freshening on the pro- 

 duction of dairy cows has been the basis of considerable in- 

 vestigation. The Bureau of Dairying has compiled some 

 facts in regard to the most profitable season for cows to 

 freshen, and these are published in Department Bulletin 

 1071. The conclusions are based on a study of 10,870 year- 

 ly records in 64 cow-testing associations, and are summar- 

 ized in Table 2. 



Table 2. — Date of freshening, by seasons, with average yearly feed and 

 production records, per cow 



.5 TS 



Oi 



Season ^U I Sl °i ^ ° go 



Pounds Pounds 



Spring (March, April, 



and May) 3,196 5,842 236 $37.51 $19.22 $56.73 $70.73 



Summer (June, July, 



and August) 1,328 5,941 236 37.62 22.48 60.10 66.59 



Fall (September, Oct- 

 ober, and November) 2,862 6,689 268 38.94 28.45 67.39 76.65 



Winter (December, Jan- 

 uary, and February) 3,484 6,439 258 37.65 25.51 63.16 75.66 



Total and averages_--10,870 6,269 252 37.95 24.06 62.01 73.36 



Cows that freshened in the fall months ranked highest 

 in average yearly production of milk and butterfat, in cost 

 of feed, and in income over cost of feed ; the cows that fresh- 

 ened in the winter months ranked second in these respects; 

 on the average, those that calved in the spring and summer 

 produced the least milk and butterfat and returned the 

 smallest income over cost of feed. 



