RIGHT FEEDING 37 



STICK TO Milk cows should have all the feed they can digest 



A GOOD SYSTEM without undue waste in excrement. Good feed and 

 care will make all of 50% difference in the final pro- 

 duction of the dairy herd. Prof. Eckles, of University of Missouri, says 

 the average yearly production could be increased from one-half to three- 

 fourths simply by following better methods of feeding. Of course the 

 ration must be good, that is properly balanced in the elements it contains 

 for milk production; and it must be palatable to the animals, and cheap 

 as possible for the owner. 



A STORY At Cornell experiment station they have a story of a 



FROM CORNELL certain "up-state" farmer with a herd of poorly nour- 

 ished cows, from which he got a weekly milk yield 



of about 109 Ibs. testing 4.56% butter-fat. The whole herd was taken to 

 the experiment station, and for two years put on liberal feed and care, 

 and the average milk yield jumped to 155 Ibs. per week for the herd, with 

 a butter-fat percentage of 4.7 average. At the end of these two years the 

 herd was sent back to the owner, and for another year records were kept 

 to see the result under the owner's "slack feeding" methods: The average 

 went back to the old meagre standard. 



HERE'S FROM Wisconsin station has been making some good dairy 

 WISCONSIN feeding tests, with results as follows: 



25 cows: 1 year record 

 Average milk yield 8,439.6 Ibs. (363.32 Ibs. butter-fat). 



Average value of milk $111.76 



Average cost of feeding 50.34 



Average net profit $ 61.42 



In this test the grain ration used was as follows: Wheat bran 3 parts, 

 corn meal 4 parts, distillers' grains 3 parts. Small amounts of oats, oil- 

 meal and brewers' grains for variety. 



Tests of individual cows showed the following: High producers use 

 large amounts of dry matter, with as much as 2^> Ibs. digestible protein 

 daily. But low producers, and those advanced in milking, could make 

 economical use of considerably less grain and cheaper feed stuffs in 

 general. 



Its all in the cow, and the feeder. 



HOW CON- In some countries where conditions do not vary much, 



DITIONS VARY in Denmark for instance, it would be easy to lay down 



a few definite rules. In this country the feeding 



problem is different for almost every dairy. Local conditions, the feeds 

 cheapest and easiest to get, the crops raised on the farm, all enter into 

 the problem. The ration must be made up to fit the dairy needs; but it 

 must be selected from feeds that are comparatively easy to get and cheap. 

 The following have been made up to suit conditions found in different 

 parts of the country, making use of available feeds and little or no allow- 

 ance for pasture. Of course, with a considerable pasture, there is prac- 

 tically no fair rule for figuring. In these rations, the amount of mixed 

 feed or concentrates is estimated at 1 Ib. a day for each 3 or 3 l / 2 Ibs. of 

 milk. Feed the cow according to her dairy test. Put into each cow 

 what you think you can get out of her: Find out her full capacity, then 

 estimate about 50% to 60% of that ration will be needed to maintain her 

 normal weight. If you feed her less than capacity you don't hurt the 

 cow, but you do cut off her production for you, that is, your profit, 



