BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE 169 



While cows need a variety, they want it to come by having a 

 mixture of feeds at each meal, and not by receiving one kind of 

 feed at one meal, another at the next, and still another at the third. 

 Such a method of giving a variety is sure to reduce the yield, as 

 the cow, at a given feeding time, expects the same kind of feed that 

 she ate yesterday at the same time, and if not given it will be dis- 

 turbed and will give less milk. It is not necessary to give a cow 

 the same kinds of feed for supper that she has for breakfast, but 

 the breakfast mixtures should be alike for all breakfasts and the 

 supper feeds the same for all suppers for a considerable period. 



Sudden changes usually decrease the milk yield, even when the 

 new ration is better than the old, and when it is necessary to make 

 a change in feed the change should be made gradually, taking a 

 week to ten days to make any radical change. 



Appetizing Rations. It was stated -in the last paragraph that a 

 variety in the ration brought better yields because it made the food 

 more appetizing, inducing the cow to eat more and to yield more for 

 what she ate. Whatever makes the feed taste better or makes it more 

 enjoyable to the cow increases its value for milk production. Early- 

 cut hay is best for the dairy cow, not only because it contains more 

 protein than that cut late, but because its aroma and flavor make it 

 more palatable to the cow. The appetizing effect from the early 

 cutting and careful curing of all forage crops increases their feed 

 value for milk production. Freshly-harvested and freshly-ground 

 grain are the most palatable to the dairy cow and will give best 

 results. Dairymen who grind feed should grind often, as grain that 

 has lost its freshness is not the best relished by the cow. 



Often the dairyman has a large quantity of coarse, rather un- 

 palatable rough fodders, such as corn fodder and over-ripe or slightly 

 damaged hay, which he must feed, and has only a limited quantity 

 of choice roughness to feed with it. In this case, best results can be 

 secured by giving the more palatable roughness in the morning or 

 with the grain night and morning and feeding the poorer roughage 

 as the last feed at night, to be eaten at the cow's pleasure during the 

 night, or else put in racks in the yard for mid-day meals. Palatable 

 feed in the morning gives a contented cow through the day, and this 

 contentment brings more milk. 



When several kinds of feed are given it is usual to throw them 

 together into the manger and let the cow eat at will. This method 

 does not secure the highest milk yield. You do not want your soup 

 and pie served together on the same plate, and neither docs the cow 

 like this method of serving her food. If all the feed-stuffs for a meal 

 are thrown together, the more palatable are eaten first. In separat- 

 ing and eating these, the others are "mussed" over, and when the 

 cow comes to eat them, they do not taste good and she will not eat 

 enough to produce the greatest milk yield. We like to feed our most 

 palatable roughness and give this just before the milkers go to their 

 meal. When the milkers come back from eating, the cows have fin- 

 ished their first feed, and the less palatable roughness can then 'be 

 given them. It will not then have been slobbered on and will be 



