. Australian Garden and Field. 510 THE GARDEN AND FIELD. April, 1914 The Self-Sucking Cow. The self-sucking cow is possibly the most aE;-_e:ravating animal to deal with that is to be found in all the lists of domesticated beasts. It \yould seem to the person not familiar u-ith the persistency and determination of this class of cows that it would be a very difficult matter for the cow to suck herself when friven perfect li- berty and entirely unobstructed. This is not the case, however ; the cow can soon acquire the habit of milkino- herself, and then tax the inorenuitv of the most inventive ge
. Australian Garden and Field. 510 THE GARDEN AND FIELD. April, 1914 The Self-Sucking Cow. The self-sucking cow is possibly the most aE;-_e:ravating animal to deal with that is to be found in all the lists of domesticated beasts. It \yould seem to the person not familiar u-ith the persistency and determination of this class of cows that it would be a very difficult matter for the cow to suck herself when friven perfect li- berty and entirely unobstructed. This is not the case, however ; the cow can soon acquire the habit of milkino- herself, and then tax the inorenuitv of the most inventive genius to devise obstructions or appliances to prevent her from do. ing so. Whv a cow gets the habit of sucking herself is not fully under- stood. Some attribute it to lack of water in the T>, and she uses this means of quenching thirst, others attribute it to a too full condition of the udder, which causes pain and imeasiness and the cow licks the teats as a means of relief, and thus gets a taste of the milk and relieves herself by suckine. Others still attribute it to leaking teats, and the cow gets a taste of the milk in this wav and becomes a sucker. It is safe to sav that none of these excuses will answer all cases of self-milking in 'the cow. It is perhaps account- ed for more correctly bv accident, or anv of the above reasons may anplv, and others not mentioned. It is an tmnatural habit acquired bv certain cows, and is very hard to correct, is all that most per- sons c^n say. The followincf are some of the I)lans iMit in operation to keep cows from continuing in this habit :â A popular method is to place a halter on the icow, havin[r the band over the nose studded with sharp nails pushed throuc-h from the in- side. When the cow attempts to suck herself the nails will prkk her flank and udder and prevent her from grasping the mammary or- phan. Another plan is to put a bull ring in the cow's nose and hang tw-o loose rings in it. These will not prevent her from fee
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