It is indispensably necessary to have a vigilant experienced herdsman at the time that cows are expected to calve. Many a young heifer has been spoiled for want of attention at this critical period. When their time of forty weeks has expired they should be watched night and day, no matter whether old or young.*

They ought not to have been kept in too high condition, as in such cases they would be subject to milk or puerperal fever; especially if they should calve in hot weather, or have a protracted labour.

When fever comes on they generally refuse food, and are restless, and their udders become hard and distended. To prevent this, in hot weather and when cows are in too fat a condition, it would be best to have them bled about a week or ten days before the time they are expected to calve, and also give them a dose or two of Epsom salts. About five pints of blood may be taken from a large cow, and four from a smaller; and the Epsom salts should be given in one pound doses, and thoroughly melted, with an ounce or two of ginger. Probably it would be best to give one dose a few days before calving, and the other a few days after.

When this fever comes on, the udders become hard and glutted, and one quarter of the udder is generally worse than the others, and becomes inflamed with garget. This can be subdued only by an early stripping of the milk from the quarter, and by a very frequent bathing and rubbing with warm water and soft soap. Want of proper attention during this state occasions the affected quarter to become hard and useless ever after.

Cows are often injured by unskilful treatment when the period of their gestation has arrived. They should then be placed in a warm, clean, and well-ventilated cow-house or shed, moderately fed, and well watched, and if all is right they should be left undisturbed; but if difficulties should arise, the veterinary surgeon should immediately be sent for, and his practical skill will usually overcome them.

Hove Or Hoove

The disease called Hove or Hoove is said to arise from forcing cattle on too fast, by giving them too rich succulent food; but as we see as many (if not more) poor fed animals affected by the complaint, it is generally believed to be caused by bringing them up in low, undrained meadows, where they get coarse sedgy food without shelter, after having been half starved with cold and inferior food during the winter.

* This necessity has been experienced in several cases by the writer. A few years ago, when cows were cheap, 12/. were offered for a small but pretty heifer About four or five days before she was expected to calve a cold wind set in, and being in an exposed situation in the farmyard, she took cold and had garget. In administering a dose of salts the herdsman choked her, so that she died. During a cold wintry day, in the early spring of this year, the cows were put into a meadow. As was supposed, one of them was about to calve and was driven home, and the veterinary surgeon sent for. On his arrival he found the event had taken place, and on sending the herdsman into the meadow the calf was discovered - of course dead. They should neither of them have been out of their cow-house it the time. Both heifer and calf were lost through carelessness.

Lime water and turpentine are said to be a cure for this disease, which at first seems only to affect the windpipe, but when the insects which are the cause of it have reached the lungs, no remedy can be depended on.

Cattle are believed to be infested by these insects while in their winged mature state, in low marshy grounds. They are first attacked in the nostril when they inhale their eggs; but however this may be, one thing is certain, namely, that animals are less likely to become diseased if kept on well-drained upland pastures and in good condition.

Pleuro-pneumonia has been a fatal disease among many herds of cattle. It is dreadfully infectious, and an immense number of valuable animals have been destroyed by its ravages. If the disease be discovered to prevail in the neighbourhood of healthy cattle, they should not be removed, but kept at home; and should any of them show the least symptom of fever or disease, they should have a seton in the dewlaps of their chest. This is believed to divert the inflammation from their lungs by bringing on a copious discharge from their chests. For all lung disease it is safest to employ veterinary skill.

Casualties

It is common for cattle to get choked when feeding on cut turnips or other roots. This is occasioned by the lodgment of a piece in their throat or gullet which has not been properly masticated. It can sometimes be removed by pressing it forward with the fingers and thumb. The safest plan, however, would be for the herdsman to keep a proper tube by him which is made for that purpose and covered with leather. It is also used to enable cattle to expel wind from their stomachs when they are blown by an accumulation of it. This latter cross event is very dangerous. It is generally brought on by feeding too greedily when first turned into new luscious food, such as coleworts, clover, tares, etc. The ruminating process being stopped (because the animal cannot expel the accumulation of half masticated food fast enough), wind increases rapidly till it becomes so distressed by the distension of its stomach that unless speedily relieved it soon dies.

Remedy For Wind

A pint of linseed oil generally succeeds in forcing a passage into the stomach and in enabling the beast to expel the wind.

In some extreme cases where no other remedy was at hand, a penknife has been thrust between their ribs into the stomach. This puncture has had the desired effect. The wound soon healed and the poor creature's life was saved.

Very few breeders or feeders of cattle use turnip-cutters now for stall feeding. The accidents of choking and blowing seldom occur where the improved system of pulping roots is practised.

Cause Of Diseases

Ill fed and roughly used animals are subject to many diseases, which no doubt would be avoided if they were carefully fed and properly protected from cold and wet seasons. Wet lodging, poor food, and careless treatment are too generally found to be the precursors of weak and unhealthy constitutions.