Milch Cows and Dairy Farming: Comprising the Breeds, Breeding, and Management, in Health and Disease, of Dairy and Other Stock, the Selection of Milch Cows, with a Full Explanation of Guenon's Method; The Culture of Forage Plants, and the Production of Milk, Butter, and Cheese: Embodying the Most Recent Improvements, and Adapted to Farming in the United States and British Provinces. With a Treatise upon the Dairy Husbandry of Holland; To Which Is Added Horsfall's System of Dairy ManagementFlint, Charles Louis
Science
Milch Cows and Dairy Farming: Comprising the Breeds, Breeding, and Management, in Health and Disease, of Dairy and Other Stock, the Selection of Milch Cows, with a Full Explanation of Guenon's Method; The Culture of Forage Plants, and the Production of Milk, Butter, and Cheese: Embodying the Most Recent Improvements, and Adapted to Farming in the United States and British Provinces. With a Treatise upon the Dairy Husbandry of Holland; To Which Is Added Horsfall's System of Dairy Management
Flint, Charles Louis
Cows; Dairying
After being satisfied with regard to the age of a cow, we should examine
her with reference to her soundness of constitution. A good constitution
is indicated by large lungs, which are found in a deep, broad, and
prominent chest, broad and well-spread ribs, a respiration somewhat slow
and regular, a good appetite, and if in milk a strong inclination to
drink, which a large secretion of milk almost invariably stimulates. In
such cows the digestive organs are active and energetic, and they make
an abundance of good blood, which in turn stimulates the activity of
the nervous system, and furnishes the milky glands with the means of
abundant secretion. Such cows, when dry, readily take on fat. When
activity of the milk-glands is found united with close ribs, small and
feeble lungs, and a slow appetite, often attended by great thirst, the
cow will generally possess only a weak and feeble constitution; and if
the milk is plentiful, it will generally be of bad quality, while the
animal, if she does not die of diseased lungs, will not take on fat
readily when dry and fed.
Other external marks of great milkers have already been given in part.
They should be found united, as far as possible; for, though no one of
them, however well developed, can be taken as a sure indication of
extraordinary milking powers, several of them united may, as a general
rule, be implicitly relied on.
In order to have no superfluous flesh, the cow should have a small,
clean, and rather long head, tapering towards the muzzle. A cow with a
large, coarse head will seldom fatten readily, or give a large quantity
of milk. A coarse head increases the proportion of weight of the least
valuable parts, while it is a sure indication that the whole bony
structure is too heavy. The mouth should be large and broad; the eye
bright and sparkling, but of a peculiar placidness of expression, with
no indication of wildness, but rather a mild and feminine look. These
points will indicate gentleness of disposition. Such cows seem to like
to be milked, are fond of being caressed, and often return caresses. The
horns should be small, short, tapering, yellowish, and glistening. The
neck should be small, thin, and tapering towards the head, but
thickening when it approaches the shoulder; the dewlaps small. The fore
quarters should be rather small when compared with the hind quarters.
The form of the barrel will be large, and each rib should project
further than the preceding one, up to the loins. She should be well
formed across the hips and in the rump.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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