

COMPARATIVE V.ALUE OP FEEDS. 41 



protein of the ration is materially increased at low cost for the same, and 

 this means a cutting off of expense for concentrated feeds purchased. The 

 large protein requirements of the dairy cow explains why she takes so kindly 

 to red clover hay. Better still than red clover hay is that from the alfalfa 

 plant. Good alfalfa hay is almost as rich in protein as wheat bran, and 

 carries about the same amount of carbohydrates as the feeding table in this 

 chapter shows. It is not surprising then that we find dairymen who have 

 alfalfa hay, claiming that in many cases such hay takes the place of wheat 

 bran in the ration. Dairy farmers should carefully test the alfalfa plant and 

 grow it if that can possibly be done. 



In considering the question of preparing feed for the dairy cow we 

 should understand her needs and the composition of the feeding stuffs 

 available. Where the ears of corn are small and where labor is high, it will 

 often be best to feed shock corn directly to the cattle without husking. It 

 is best to run the forage through the feed cutter, but if one can put up with 

 the long waste stalks, he need not even give that preparation. The dairy 

 cow can do her own husking of corn, and thanks no one to do it for her. 

 Like the hickory-nut meat, the ear of corn is fresher when left in the husk 

 until used. The cow is happy when crunching small ears of corn. Par- 

 tially dry cows; dry cows, heifers and other young stock may well get 

 their small corn allowance in the unhusked form. Oats may also be fed 

 whole. Where animals are hard worked as i- the dairy cow when giving a 

 full flow of milk, it is generally best to prepare feed by chaffing or shred- 

 ding the corn forage, cutting the hay and grinding the grain. 



The paunch of the dairy cow holds two or three hundred pounds of 

 food and water. In the paunch the food does not lie quiet but is being con- 

 stantly moved about and mixed by the muscular contractions of that organ ; 

 this true, there is very little use of the farmer mixing up feeds in advance 

 for his cows. Farmers sometimes think that if they moisten the forage 

 and then sprinkle meal over it, that they have greatly helped the cow. All 

 the feed a cow eats is intimately mixed in the paunch within fifteen minutes 

 after it is swallowed. This true, one should feed cows in that manner 

 which is the most satisfactory to them so far as palatability goes and the 

 most convenient to himself. In regard to the order of administering feed, 

 habit and comfort should rule again. Some cows grow restless if they do 

 not receive their concentrates first, and after eating these they quietly 

 munch the roughage for two or three hours later. The same rule should 

 govern in regard to the frequency of feeding. Habit is the strongest factor. 

 In general, the writer believes that twice a day is often enough for feeding 

 the dairy cow concentrates, and roughage too for the most part. Let the 

 morning and night feeds be heavy. At mid-day let the cows have some 

 roughage to chew when they would otherwise be idle. It is not necessary 

 to feed a cow four or five times a day to get the best results. Nature pro- 

 vides the paunch as a storage place for food, and it is a good deal better to 



