200 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



animal is losing in weight that sufficient feed is not being given, 

 and if the deficiency is not supplied it will not be long before the 

 milk production will come down to correspond with the amount of 

 feed available. 



Feeding as Individuals — In connection with this subject of the 

 amount to feed cows it needs to be pointed out that it is only pos- 

 sible to feed a bunch of cows economically when they are fed as 

 individuals, and not as a herd. A too common practice, even in the 

 otherwise well conducted herds, is for all animals to be fed the 

 same amount of grain regardless of the period of lactation or the 

 quantity of milk individual cows are producing. Such feeding al- 

 ways lacks economy, as the high producing cow does not get 

 enough, and while she may milk very well for a short time she soon 

 comes down to a lower level, while the lightetr producing cow 

 usually gets too much and accumulates fat. 



One of the difficult problems which confronts the practical 

 feeder is how to adjust the quantity of feed to meet these individual 

 requirements. It can be done fairly well even in the large herds 

 by observing how much milk the cow is producing, and whether she 

 is gaining or losing in body weight. 



Amount of Grain and Roughness to Feed — The cow being 

 adapted by nature for consuming bulky feeds does not feel satis- 

 fied unless she has sufficient bulk to the ration given at all times. 

 An animal that is fed too much grain in proportion to the amount 

 of roughness may seem hungry, while she really has a sufficient 

 amount of nutrients, but so concentrated that it does not .have 

 sufficient bulk. In order to keep the animal filled up at all times 

 and in the natural condition, she should be fed practically all the 

 roughness she will eat up clean at all times, and the difference in 

 ration given different animals should be, not in the roughness fed 

 to any great extent, but in the amount of grain. 



The following rules regarding the amount to feed cows covers 

 the case fairly well: 



1. Feed all the roughness they will eat up clean at all times. 



2. Feed one pound of grain per day for each pound butter fat 

 produced per week, or one pound grain daily for each three pounds 

 of milk. 



3. Feed all the cotvs will take without gaining in weight. 

 The rule regarding the amount of grain to feed per day for 



each cow applies best when based upon the amount of butter fat 

 produced per week, as this makes it applicable to any breed. The 

 second part of the rule in regard to feeding one pound of grain for 



