The Dairy Herd

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5975, 8 September 1920, Page 2

The Dairy Herd

(Special to “News.”)

Ihe dairy farmer’s hands are now full, and it is a time of cons : deiable anxiety. Where there is a large herd it is a great convenience to have the dry cows separated from those in milk, and just'bring them in es they calve. Mangels are valuable at this time of the year, but for suoh weather aB we have had of late, hay is, in the writer's opinion, the more valuable of the two. The mangel is a dangerous fodder unless fed with considerable cire, and much loss often arises through turning the cows in to eat the roots where they grow. It is not a really pirte food until it has been stored for some lime in the or pits, and even then should be fed sparingly to commence with. A little bran Bhonld always be on hand at this time of year, as it may be required for an ailing cow, if not to form part of the daily ration of one or two of the biggest producers in the herd; but to give such food to the bad milker is a mere waste-of money. Cow pastures, in which roots aud hay have been fed daring winter, become very diriy and Btale, and, if it is at all possible, the cows should be given a complete change -to clean ground, the winter pasture being thoroughly harrowed and all stock kept off it for a week or two. In tact, the ideal grazing system is to spell the paddocks in turn throughout the year, and chain harrow thoroughly every time the cows are removed to freßh ground. There is not the slightest danger of over-harrowing. Small paddocks are a necessity in intense farming.