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quality of milk than the kind of food, provided the ration given contains 

 sufficient nutriment for the maintenance of the animal." 



Frequency of Feeding. The frequency with which feed should be supplied 

 cows has not yet been settled, and perhaps never will be until members of 

 the human family agree on the number of meals a day and the character of 

 each best suited to their own needs. From the large size of the paunch and 

 the apparent necessity for rumination, it does not seem essential to supply 

 feed many times a day. The common practice of feeding twice a day, once 

 in the morning and once late in the afternoon, with an armful of roughage 

 to pick over at midday, appears a reasonable one, and conforms well with the 

 labour requirements of the stable. There are dairymen who are never 

 through feeding. They give first a little of this, then a little of that, keep- 

 ing themselves busy in the stable most of the day caring for their cows. 

 The cows of such persons usually yield good returns, their owners ascribe 

 success to their particular system of feeding, when, instead, it is the general 

 good care and not the particular system that should be credited. As with 

 mankind, habit rules in these matters; and any system which is reasonable, 

 having once been established, should not be set aside unless the feeder is sure 

 of advantage from the change, which should be gradual, if possible. 



Order of Feeding Concentrates, Roughage and Water. The digestive tract 

 of the cow is provided with a large storage room for the reception of food. 

 In the paunch the various articles swallowed are rapidly and thoroughly 

 commingled by the churning action of that organ. Hay and grain are soon 

 thoroughly intermixed, and gradually soften in the warm liquid there so 

 abundant. This being true, the order of supplying the several constituents 

 of the ration is not of importance from a physiological standpoint. The 

 cow seems best satisfied when receiving the concentrates or more appetizing 

 portion of the ration first. And after this has been disposed of she begins, 

 in contentment, to chew the hay, silage or other roughage placed before her. 

 As barn operations are usually conducted, watering follows dry feed. 



Preparation of Feed. As the dairy cow, when giving a large quantity of 

 milk, is accomplishig much work, it is best to prepare the feed for rapid 

 mastication, when possible, without too great cost. Grain should generally 

 be ground and roots sliced. Where labour is high-priced, as at the West, it 

 'is preferable in many cases to feed the cow in the most simple manner, even 

 though as large returns do not follow. 



Dry Feed. Cows take kindly to dry feed, and as a rule prefer it to that 

 in a sloppy condition. Because of the thorough admixture of the contents 

 of the rumen, where there is abundance of moisture, there seems no occasion 

 for converting meal into slop before feeding. By supplying the feed dry the 

 mangers can be kept more wholesome, with less labour in administering it. 



Liberal Feeding. The dairyman should never forget that about 60 per 

 cent, of all the cow can eat is required to sustain her body, and only after 

 this amount is provided can thfere be any returns to him. Having incurred 

 the expense necessary to operate a dairy, in the purchase of lands, buildings 

 and cows, he is certainly short-sighted who will withhold any part of the 40 

 per cent, of provender, which will produce returns for himself. When the 

 dairyman has reached the point of liberal feeding he should begin to study 



