MILK PRODUCTION 413 



As a food for young stock, whole milk is without a 

 rival. Substitutes are of course frequently used as supple- 

 ments or substitutes for it, but none of these have been 

 found to answer quite so well the purposes of rapid growth. 

 This explains why it is so generally given without stint 

 to young animals that are to be fitted for exhibition 

 purposes, far beyond the usual age for weaning. Although 

 by far the safest food for young stock, some caution must 

 be exercised in feeding it, especially when very rich in 

 fat, or digestive troubles may follow. 



From the table it will be noticed that ewe's milk has 

 in it a much higher proportion of protein and fat than 

 cow's milk. This would suggest the wisdom of adding 

 cream to cow's milk used in starting lambs quite young 

 on the same, or of using strippings for such feeding. As 

 mare's milk contains only about one-half the protein and 

 fat of cow's milk, but considerably more sugar, when 

 cow's milk is given to young foals, it should be diluted 

 with water and sugar added. These additions may of 

 course be reduced gradually as the digestion becomes ac- 

 customed to the change. Sow's milk is much richer in 

 fat and sugar than cow's milk, hence it would seem prudent 

 to add cream and. sugar for a time, when cow's milk is 

 substituted for the former with quite young pigs. 



Foods and milk production. To furnish milk eco- 

 nomically the cow should be supplied with food : ( i ) In 

 balance as to chemical constituents and of easy digestibility ; 

 (2) in quantity limited only by the consuming power of 

 the cow; (3) obtained from sources relatively cheap and 

 (4) possessed of at least a reasonable amount of succulence. 

 The yield in milk production, other things being equal, will 

 be reduced in proportion as these essentials are lacking. 

 The Wolff-Lehmann standards recommend the following 

 organic and digestible nutrients for milk production per 

 day, in a cow possessed of 1,000 pounds live weight and 

 producing 22 pounds milk daily: 



