lU BOARD OF xVGEICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Feeding. 



The feeding proposition is a less difficult one to encom- 

 pass, the results of experimental trial are more quickly 

 apparent, and errors of judgment are less costly. Many 

 cows give inadequate milk flows because they are of beef 

 build, placing the food as their ancestry has willed it, — on 

 their ribs instead of in the pail. Others, on the contrary, 

 have failed simply because they have not had a chance ; 

 they have been inadequately fed. Here may be cited the 

 classic experiment of the Kansas Experiment Station, pub- 

 lished in its Bulletin No. 86. 



The station authorities bought 30 scrub cows, which it is 

 stated appeared on the whole to be inferior in quality to the 

 average herds of the State. These were fed for an entire 

 year on rations rich in protein, designed to stimulate the 

 milk flow. The main roughage used Avas alfalfa hay, fed 

 during the months of barn feeding in as large quantities as 

 the cows would take. During the out-of-door life they had 

 })asture with green kaffir corn for soiling. The grain feeds 

 used were mainly wheat bran, linseed meal, kaffir corn and 

 corn meal, about 8 pounds daily in the barn and 3 pounds 

 while at pasture. These cows averaged for the year 5,700 

 pounds of milk and over 275 pounds of butter. The best 

 one yielded 9,100 })ounds and the poorest 3,600 pounds of 

 milk ; the best one nearlj' 450 pounds of butter and the 

 poorest nearly 160 pounds. 



The Kansas station authorities collected the records of 82 

 herds in one of the leading dairy sections, and found that 

 the average annual yield per cow was 3,441 pounds of milk, 

 or 150 pounds less than that of their poorest but well-fed 

 scrub cow ; that the average yield of butter was 122 pounds, 

 or 36 pounds less than that of their poorest cow. The aver- 

 age return for butter at the creameries was $19.79 per cow, 

 or $1.60 less than the returns ol)tained from their poorest 

 but well-fed scrub cow, and but little more than half as 

 much as was returned l)y the average of the entire herd. 

 The station authorities attributed their success with their 

 scrub herd to three causes : — 



