state Dairy Association. 231 



of buying that which is rich in protein. But those of you who 

 raise alfalfa are more independent; you don't need to go to market 

 to buy. It very often pays to exchange home-grown grain for mill 

 feeds. These glutinous feeds are improved in many ways by hav- 

 ing the starch taken out. Very often the selling of home-grown 

 grain and the buying of mill feeds can be done at a great profit. 



Q. In figuring the profit on your cow, have you figured in the 

 value of the skim milk? 



A. Yes; at $15 per cow. The manure is not taken into con- 

 sideration. 



Q. Do you think that testing a cow once a month for 12 

 months and weighing the milk, is a fair test? 



A. Yes; a very accurate test. 



Q. I should think that there would be a difference in the re- 

 sult by weighing the milk every day and weighing it only once a 

 month. 



A. Your cow will not vary very much from month to month. 

 She will not give this month 50 pounds and the next month drop 

 down to 20, but will produce right along the first few months 30 

 to 35, then perhaps 29 and then 28 — there is a gradual decrease. 

 We had one cow that produced as much in the 12th month as in 

 the first; she produced 49 pounds the first month and 40 the last 

 month in the year. There is not very much chance in making a 

 great mistake in that cow. If you go all over our records you will 

 see a gradual decrease. 



Q. Will you give us a balanced ration? 



A. Six pounds of bran, 6 of corn and oats, 6 gluten feed, 3 

 of oil-meal, 12 of clover hay. 



We feed corn silage and alfalfa hay, 30 ta 40 pounds of the 

 first and 10 of the last, and what corn stover she will eat out of 

 that given her for bedding. 



Q. How much grain do you feed a cow? 



A. The most grain fed any cow last year was 10 pounds. 

 Our average is 7 pounds of grain per cow. Don't crowd them. 

 But you must remember that the feeding of good alfalfa hay in 

 connection with silage gives a lot of nutriment; and you can get 

 along with 1 pound of grain to 4 pounds of milk — that's enougli 

 here in the corn belt. In Wisconsin, when we get an inquiry as 

 to that, we tell them to give 1 pound of grain for 2i/^ pounds of 

 milk. 



