HAWKE'S BAY FARM AND RURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2721, 9 May 1906, Page 7

HAWKE'S BAY FARM AND RURAL NOTES.

Ways of Bilking.

GTeou Ottb, Own Coerespondejjt.) Variou» dodges arc tried by the email farmer not interested in dairying, but who wants enough milk and butter for his household. Of course jf a man employs the labour, or is so situated that it can be managed, it is best ' to take the calf away entirely and milk twice a day. There are a large number of farmers who cannot very well manage; this, and to whom the question of milking is of some moment. The commonest plan us to go shares with the calf — that is, let the calf run with tha cow in the daytime, shut the calf up at night, and milk the cow by hand in the morning. At busy times, or when the farmer is away, the calf can do the milking. The calf can also do the drying off. This is a very convenient way, but has several drawbacks ; an odd cow here and there will give catisfactory results, but the majority of cows milked in this way become nervous and irritable through fretting about their calf, and often require a man on horseback to yard them when the* calf t is with them, especially when only one ' cow is kept. Again, t£>e milk drawn from a cow on this system does not contain a full share of buttei fat, because the cow will not let it down properly. The cream on tfce-'pan will j be of little consequence, and the butter* j will seldom or never keep for any time, and will have to be made up every two or three days to be eatable. Also, after the cow has been in some time the butter is very slow in "coming." A better plan than this is as follows : Let the calf remain with the cow 24 hours after being dropped, so that they will take to each other. Then

take the calf away and teach- it to- drini from a bucket* As/soon-as it'WilL drink*.?" properly, say- in three* days;/! let ifri-go back" to the cow for 12 hours, lifter a further four days- let it go back for "-another 12 hours^ > then once «, fortnight *Urbe\3ufficient. The -■ object of letting 1 it MeE. at these intervals ' is to -easur© v the- motKer and calf .not for- ( getting" each other^- ITiis'haßpena mutch . more ca v sily- than -might" be expected. The oow, of .course, -wdll .be -milked- , every ,12 houi'3 by Hand, excepting when she has had ' the calf with her. ' It will be found that for one or two milkings after the calf has been with her the milk will be of JitiJo value, but from the third or fourth milking, according to- the temperament of the ; cow, the milk will be practically as goad as that milked on the dairyman's- principle. Excepting that the calf will not be so welt nourished, this plan has all the advantages of the other shares system. The additional' advantages are tbatv the milk and cream obtained " will be good- and the butter will keep for a reasonable length of time 1 . Excepting each day after the calf has been with her, the cow will not fret, and will be as quiet as the oow whose calf has been continuously kept away from the first/ It is a gocd ~plan when teaching a calf to drink fronr the bucket to teach it to drink without the hand from >■ the start. This requires some patience, and takes a little extra time for the first few lessons, but saves a great deal of trouble and time 'in. ' the end, and amply repays any trouble spent. A third plan which is adopted^.by some of- tbe stations has -/the- combined object of making the cattle quiet and getting enough milk for the homestead. The calves are taken from the cows and tied tip every- -night. The cows- -are bailed up in the morning,--' 'when each ' calf 'i^ • allowed" to help itself to about three-quarters of the milk ftom Its' mother,- and >a boy • then strip 3 the remaining ohe-querter, which is the best milk, into a bucket. Thus only ' the best milk -is handled. Generally speak--, ing, the- cows - are only kept in a- few weeks, fresh cows "continually taking the •' places of those ' turned x»ut. A calf , that , has had a few, weeks of the'^ above .treatment ' will not forget it, and will grow into a • quiet enousjb beast. It is important that they should be tied up, and not merely shut up. Cows that have been tied up as calves break into the bail with littk trouble. HEPERE.