112 SECOND THOUSAND QUESTIONS IN AGRICULTURE 



of one pound for every six or seven pounds of milk which the cows 

 produce. These feeds make a very satisfactory grain mixture for 

 dairy cows on alfalfa and roots or silage. F. W. W. 



Feeding Dried Beet Pulp. 



My cow declines to eat beet pulp, either dry or soaked. I persuade 

 her by miring cocoanut meal with it, one part cocoanut to two parts 

 beet, soaked. What is the feeding value of beet pulp compared with 

 bran or alfalfa meal? 



Dried beet pulp is not particularly palatable feed, but it does not 

 take dairy cows long to get accustomed to it and they will eat large 

 amounts right along when once started on this feed. The best way 

 to teach cows to eat pulp is to feed a little at first with other con- 

 centrates, and gradually increase the allowance until the grain mixture 

 decided upon has been reached. Some farmers prefer feeding the 

 pulp wet, and some feed it dry. It does not make much difference 

 how it is fed, although most cows take to it more readily when it is 

 fed wet than when dry and will eat larger quantities of it in the 

 former form. 



Cocoanut meal is all right to mix with the pulp. A mixture of 

 barley and cocoanut meal, or barley and mill feed, is better, since 

 several feeds make a more appetizing grain mixture than one or two 

 and will favor a high production. Your cow did not need much more 

 feed than she was furnished in the roughage fed, or you did not try 

 her long enough. Good dairy cows will always respond to grain 

 feeding and take to a mixture containing beet pulp as readily as other 

 grain mixtures. 



The fact that beet pulp, as a general rule, is a relatively cheap 

 feed on the Coast makes it a very desirable component of our dairy 

 rations. It contains no injurious component or chemical substances 

 that would render it undesirable as a dairy feed or a component of 

 the grain ration for dairy cows. Its feeding value may be considered 

 nearly equal to that of wheat bran and somewhat higher than that of 

 alfalfa meal, ton for ton. F. W. W. 



Barley Straw for Dairy Cows. 



My barley turned yellow before it fully matured. The barley is 

 considerably shrunk and I think it is not fit to sell, so I expect to 

 feed it to my dairy cows. The straw is quite tender and sweet. Would 

 it be profitable to cut up the straw fine and mix it with my barley 

 (rolled) and some other concentrates? 



Barley straw has a similar feeding value to oat straw, and con- 

 tains about forty per cent digestible carbohydrates. A considerable 

 portion of this is, however, in the form of fiber and is of doubtful 

 value for productive purposes, but there is enough valuable digestible 

 nutrients in it to fully justify its use for feeding farm stock. It is 

 used as a regular part of the rations for horses and fattening cattle in 



