Part I 

 FEEDING FOR MILK PRODUCTION 



CHAPTER I 



FEEDING THE DRY COW — THE IMPORTANCE 

 OF MINERALS 



In beginning a discussion of the feeding of dairy cattle we will 

 start with a cow that has completed one or more lactations and 

 tell how to feed her while dry to prepare her for calving and for 

 the next lactation period. 



8. Drying off the cow. — Everybody will agree that the cows 

 should have a rest between lactations. It is our opinion that the rest 

 period should be six to eight weeks in length. Cows in thin flesh 

 should have a full two months and it is quite possible that all cows 

 would benefit by that much rest. It is good practice with heifers so 

 to breed them for their second calf that they can be milked for a 

 full year and still have a two-months' rest. This practice has a good 

 effect in influencing the length of their later lactation periods. With 

 the exception of heifers, the cow should drop a calf once a year. 



Having decided how long the dry period shall be, the question 

 that next arises is how the cow is to be dried off. This is a difficult 

 thing with some cows and one which must be done gradually to 

 avoid injury to the udder. The first step is to cut down on the 

 grain ration. If the cow is producing a lot of milk at the time, it 

 may be best to cut out the grain altogether and perhaps even to 

 substitute poorer hay for any clover or alfalfa she may be receiving. 

 However, this last step should not generally be necessary, and, for 

 reasons that will be pointed out later, we like to have the cow 

 receive clover or alfalfa hay throughout the dry period. 



For the cow on pasture it may be necessary to bring her into 

 the barn and give her hay only. With the cutting down of the feed 



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