548 



IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



should be added to prevent too much decrease, so, as the milk decreases, 

 the grain should be increased to maintain the flow at a constant level. 



The dairyman should at all times keep some sort of a production 

 record which he uses as a feeding guide. If this is done, sudden and 

 permanent slumps in production will be prevented. 



Increasing the economy of dairy production through liberal feeding of 

 thoughtfully planned rations has often been demonstrated in the Cow 

 Testing Associations as well as elsewhere. One of the most convincing 

 pieces of evidence along this line was furnished this year by the herd 

 records of one of the Pioneer Cow Testing Association members. The 

 table below shows how each of the cows were fed these years and 

 how much each produced. 



FEED AND PRODUCTION RECORDS OF THE SAME COWS 

 WHEN LIBERALLY FED & POORLY FED 



SEE HOW IT PATS TO FEED 



While the rations fed the herd, the second year, were not ideal, yet 

 the cows increased their production enormously because of the protein 

 concentrate (oil meal in this case) which was added to balance the 

 ration and because a generally more liberal ration was fed. Another 

 interesting thing to note is that the cows were on pasture five months 

 the second year while the first year they were on pasture seven months 

 which is altogether too long a season to pasture in Iowa. A pasture 

 record like the latter too often means that the cows were running in 

 stalk fields long after they should be in a good warm barn. 



There is an impression among too many dairymen that young stock 

 should utilize all the poor rough feed (because they are not producing 

 anything). This is an erroneous idea and a dairyman should put money 

 into good feed for young stock just the same as he makes savings 

 deposits or makes investments, knowing that some day he will get it 

 all back with good interest. 



