DAIRY FARMING — DAIRYING. 181 



DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 



Feeding dairy cows, D. W. May {Kentvcky Shi. Bui. lOH, pp. 45-7'J,pls. 3). — This 

 is a general discussion of the principles involved in the feeding of dairy cows, includ- 

 ing observations and results of experiments at the station and a review of considera- 

 ble literature on the subject, references to which are given. Some of the results at 

 the station may be noted. A nutritive ratio of from 1 : 5 to 1 : 6 has given the best 

 results. Animals of the station herd scoring highest have been the largest and most 

 economical producers of milk and butter. 



The records of the herd for 4 years show an average decrease of about 5 per t-ent 

 of milk and 3 per cent of butter per month during the first 4 months of the lactation 

 period and an average decrease of 8.1 per cent of milk and 7.4 per cent of butter per 

 month during the first 8 months. Data are given showing the decreased yield fol- 

 lowing irregular milking and other unusual conditions incident to the exhibition of 

 cows at local fairs. Considerable variations in the character of the feed were fol- 

 lowed by only small monthly variations in the fat content of the milk. Exposure of 

 18 cows to a very heavy rain for 2 hours in December caused a decrease in the yield 

 of milk of 24.4 and 12.5 lbs., respectively, on the 2 days following. Exposure of 

 cows to storms in sununer had very little effect upon the yield of milk. 



Cows receiving heavy rations of grain, silage, and clover hay in AprU showed a 

 marked increase in yield upon being turned on rye pasture. Feeding grain to cows 

 on pasture was unsatisfactory, 60 lbs. of grain being required to gain 2.9 lbs. of milk 

 during the first week and 5.2 lbs. the second week. Silage was fed to cows turned 

 on pasture in the spring with good results. The addition of sugar beets to a ration 

 containing silage was found to be unprofitable. Experiments to determine the 

 amount of grain that should be fed indicated that no hard and fast rule can be given. 

 Bran gave slightly better results than shorts in comparative tests. The addition of 

 linseed meal to a ration including bran and corn in the spring profitably increased 

 the yield of butter. In the summer the increased yield was not sufficient to pay for 

 the additional cost. Cotton-seed meal gave better results than bran when fed to 

 cows on pasture. Cotton-seed meal was also profitably substituted for a part of the 

 corn ration. Germ meal was compared with corn-and-cob meal, with results which, 

 while somewhat conflicting, seemed to favor the germ meal. 



Tlie influence of a variety in the rations of dairy cows, H. Hayward {Penn- 

 sylvania Sta. Rpt. 1902, pp. 314-320). — Eight cows were fed a uniform grain ration for 

 a period of 40 days, when they were divided into 2 lots, one lot being fed the same 

 ration for a second period of 40 days and the other lot practically the sauie amount 

 and kind of food but arranged in 2 rations alternating every 5 days. During a 

 third period both lots were fed the control ration. Detailed data are given as regards 

 the food consumed and the milk, fat, and solids-not-fat jiroduced, and the following 

 conclusions are drawn tentatively from the results obtained: "A variety in the ration 

 of a dairy cow as used in this experiment has no influence upon the amount of milk 

 produced nor upon its composition. A constant, palatable ration may be fed with 

 less trouble, perhaps more cheaply, and with better results than one which is being 

 constantly varied." 



The influence of the nutritive ratio upon the economy of milk and butter 

 production, H. Hayward {Pemuyhxinia Sta. Itpt. 1902, pp. 321-396).— The work 

 here reported in detail consisted of 3 experiments, the first being made in 1896 and 

 the last completed in 1899. Ten cows arranged in pairs and thus constituting 2 lots 

 were used in each experiment, which was divided into 5 periods of about 40 days 

 each. During the first and last periods all the cows, and during the intervening 

 periods the 5 cows constituting lot 1 or the control lot, were fed a uniform ration. 

 The other 5 cowS; during periods 2, 3, and 4, received rations having varying nutri- 

 tive ratios. In the first 2 experiments the digestible matter in the grain consumed 



