DAIRY CATTLE 309 



remain with the cow for three or four days when it should be 

 tauglit to drink milk from a pail if it is to be raised. If there is 

 no fever in the udder the milk will bo suitable for food by the 

 sixth day. The cow should be fed carefully during the first few 

 days and if she recovers normal condition the ration should be 

 increased steadily up to the amount the cow is capable of con- 

 suming without digestive disturbance. The feeder should study 

 liis cows carefully and watch them closely. The most economical 

 milk production occurs during the first months after freshening; 

 so the cow should be supplied with all the feed she can handle. 



Feeding dairy cows. — If possible, corn silage should be util- 

 ized as it is a nutritious succulent feed, furnishing nutrition in 

 the cheapest form when put up in proper condition. There is 

 )iothing more suitable to feed with corn silage than either clover 

 or alfalfa hay. Such hay is rich in muscle and bone building 

 material and is excellent for the milking cow. The grain feeds 

 that can be utilized along with corn silage and clover or alfalfa 

 hay will be determined largely by the feeds available, and the 

 market price. A grain ration that might be suitable in one state 

 might be too expensive, or not possible in another. A very good 

 rule to follow in herd feeding is to supply an average of ten to 

 twelve pounds of good legume hay, along with thirty to thirty- 

 five pounds of silage per cow daily, and for grain feeding one 

 pound of grain to three and one half pounds of milk produced. 

 Some cows will do better than others and the feeder should 

 determine the ability of each cow and feed accordingly. 



If cows are on good pasture with plenty of grass, and not too 

 much travel, they usually refuse hay and silage ; if the pasture 

 is extra good they sometimes refuse grain feed for a time. 



The observing feeder will watch closely and feed grain silage 

 and hay as the shortage of pasture requires. 



In making up a grain ration for cows it is usually best, if at 

 least three or four feeds can be used in a mixture as it adds 

 variety which is an important factor in keeping cows on feed 

 for a continuous period. Ordinarily corn, oat, barley or wheat 

 by-product feeds are utilized along with linseed or cottonseed 

 meal to make up the ration for the dairy cow. Such rations 

 possess variety, as the feeds come from different plants. Roots 

 can also be used to advantage if silage is not available. Carrots, 

 parsnips, mangel and sugar beets are all good. Dried beet pulp, 

 a carbohydrate feed, is very good and can be fed wet in the 

 place of silage or along with silage. 



For best results, the silage should be made from corn that is 



