94 Feeds and Feeding. 



III. Exclusive Meal, Feeding Withholding Coarse Forage 

 from Ruminants. 



125. Exclusive meal feeding. In 1874 Mr. Linus W. Miller, 

 of New York, reported that for several years he had successfully 

 maintained a herd of dairy cows while dry in winter for a period 

 of about eight weeks by giving to each animal as its sole feed not 

 above three quarts of finely-ground corn meal, daily. l It was his 

 practice to cut off the hay supply when meal feeding began. At 

 first the animals were more or less restless, but they soon quieted 

 down, all rumination ceasing. Only a small quantity of water 

 was drank. The animals remained in fair flesh. In the spring, 

 on changing back to normal feeding, a limited amount of hay was 

 at first given and the supply gradually increased. Calves from 

 cows thus maintained were strong and healthy. 



A committee was appointed by L. B. Arnold, president of the 

 American Dairyman's Association, to visit Mr. Miller's stable and 

 report to the Association its findings. The committee reported 

 that it found that cows weighing about 900 pounds each had been 

 fed exclusively on corn meal for seven weeks at the time of 

 inspection, the animals receiving on the average three quarts of 

 corn meal each, daily. It further reported: " The cows did not 

 ruminate. Were very quiet; did not evince any inordinate 

 desire for food when hay was shown them; not so much as is dis- 

 played by cows that are fed on hay alone, in the usual way of 

 feeding, a little less than they will eat. Were much more quiet 

 than cows fed mostly on meal with a small feeding of hay; say, 

 four to five pounds per day. We could not discover any signs of 

 suffering or unrest in any way whatever." 



On a second visit of the committee, thirteen days after hay 

 feeding had been resumed in the spring, the cows were " filled 

 up ' ' and did not appear different from others which had been 

 wintered in the usual way. The committee further reported 

 that the calves from these cows " are of more than ordinary size, 

 fleshy, strong, active and healthy. ' ' 



1 Kept. American Dairvman's Association, 1874; Meal Feeding and 

 Animal Digestion, a text-book for all who feed condensed food (2d Ed.), 

 by Linus W. Miller, pub. by author; Country Gentleman, 1876; Armsby, 

 Manual of Cattle Feeding, pp. 378-383. 



