The Effect of Feeding Fat to Cows. 



269 



NUMBER OF COW. 



1 



2 

 3 

 4 



Weight. 



1,189 

 1,130 

 1,168 

 1,000 



Butter in one 



weelc before 



feeding tallow. 



Lbs. 

 14.00 

 12.00 



8.50 

 13.06 



Butter in one 



week after 

 feeding tallow. 



Lbs. 

 20.00 



17.05 



16.875 



17.06 



Gain per 



cent, by 



feeding 



tallow. 



43 



46 

 98 

 30 



The result of this experiment was so striking and so contrary to 

 the results of similar experiments made previously that it seemed to 

 be worth while to carry the investigation a little further. 



On September 14, 1894, five cows of different ages and at differ- 

 ent periods of lactation were selected from the University herd 

 for an experiment in feeding tallow. The cows were as follows : 



Emma, if Holstein, 4 years old, in milk 4 months and 10 days. 



Freddie, f Holstein, 9 years old, in milk 15 days. 



Garnet Yalentine, 73,783 A. J. C. C. H. R., 3 years old, in milk 

 15 days. 



Pearl, ^ Holstein, 6 years old, in milk 25 days. • 



Pet, |- Holstein, 9 years old, in milk 5 months. 



The cows were at pasture and were receiving a grain ration of 8 

 pounds per day of an equal mixture of wheat bran and cotton-seed 

 meal. This, they continued to receive. During the first week from 

 September 14tli to 21st no change was made in the ration. The fat 

 was determined in each milking separately by the Babcock test. At 

 the conclusion of the first week 4 ounces of tallow per day were 

 added to the grain ration night and morning. The cows ate the 

 tallow readily and as fast as seemed best the amount of tallow was 

 increased, four ounces at a time, until all of the cows were eating 

 two pounds each per day. This occurred during the fourth week 

 with all of the cows except Pet who seemed to be less fond of the 

 tallow than the others, and did not eat the full ration until the fifth 

 week. The experiment was then continued until the end of the 

 tenth week, when the tallow was discontinued and the milk weighed 

 and fat determinations made for two weeks longer. 



For the first six weeks after beginning to feed the tallow, sepa- 

 rate determinations of the fat were made for each cow for each 

 milking. From the seventh week on, samples were taken from each 



