Feed and Care of the Dairy Cow. 433 



greater influence upon the quality of milk than the kind of food, pro- 

 vided the ration given contains sufficient nutriment for the main- 

 tenance of the animal." 



699. Fall-fresh cows. Spring-fresh cows yield most of their milk 

 when low prices prevail for dairy products and the dairyman is 

 busiest with the crops. In winter such cows yield only a small flow 

 of milk at most. On the other hand, a fall-fresh cow gives a large 

 supply of milk during the winter, and flushes again with the stimulus 

 of pasture in springtime. Fall-fresh cows should annually yield from 

 10 to 15 per ct. more milk than those calving in the spring. 



700. Calving. Good dairy cows usually show a strong tendency 

 to lay on fat when not giving milk. Dry cows should be put in good 

 condition before calving, fleshing up on grass alone if possible, for 

 having been heavily fed with rich concentrates while giving milk 

 this is the only opportunity for a marked change in the ration, which 

 should prove both beneficial and recuperative. Before calving time 

 let the feed be cooling and slightly laxative. Silage, roots, clover 

 hay, and fodder corn are desirable for roughage, while wheat bran, 

 oats, and linseed oil meal are particularly satisfactory for concen- 

 trates. Immediately after calving let the feed supply be small. To 

 allay thirst give tepid water carrying a little ground oats. A clinical 

 thermometer rightly used a few days before and after calving may 

 announce coming trouble before it would otherwise be observed. 



701. Frequency of feeding. The ample paunch and the consider- 

 able time needed for rumination teach that the common practice of 

 feeding cows twice daily, morning and evening, with possibly a little 

 roughage additional at midday, is a reasonable one. Those who give 

 their cows first a little of this and then a little of that, busying them- 

 selves all day in the stable, usually ascribe success to their irksome 

 system of feeding, when in truth it is due to good care generally and 

 not to the particular system of feeding. Habit is strong with the 

 cow, and a simple system of feeding and stable management once 

 established should be rigorously continued. (615) 



702. Order of feeding. In the roomy paunch hay and grain 

 eaten separately are rapidly and thoroly commingled by the churn- 

 ing action of that organ and gradually softened in the warm, abun- 

 dant liquid it contains. This true, the particular order of feeding 

 roughages and concentrates is not important. The cow seems best 

 satisfied when the concentrates are given first, and these out of the 

 way, she contentedly proceeds to dispose of the roughage before her. 

 Turning to water should follow a few hours after feeding. 



