388 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



silage or root crops. The use of such feed for cows 

 increases the milk flow beyond the actual feeding 

 value of the food. This may be caused by its benefi- 

 cial effects on the appetite of the cow, causing her to 

 eat more than she otherwise would. 



Clover and alfalfa hay contain such a large proportion 

 of protein that they make excellent roughage for dairy 

 cows. Corn fodder and corn stover are used exten- 

 sively as roughage. There is a great variety of con- 

 centrates fed for milk production. The cow needs a 

 variety in order to keep her appetite on edge, and on 

 that account it may be best to purchase one of the 

 meals or some of the by-products. Most dairymen 

 favor feeding a small quantity of linseed or cottonseed 

 meal. Bran, shorts, oats, corn, and barley are the 

 concentrates most generally depended upon. 



Amount of Feed. As has been indicated before, 

 the dairy cow should have a maintenance ration and 

 in addition then be fed according to the amount and 

 quality of product that she produces. A cow that 

 gives a large quantity of rich milk should be fed more 

 than one that gives a smaller product of low fat content. 



A rough and ready rule for determining the amount 

 of feed to be given is stated thus : feed the cow all 

 the roughage that she will eat up clean, and give her 

 one pound of concentrates for each three pounds of 

 milk that she produces. It is far better, however, to 

 figure out a balanced ration according to the feeding 

 standards and know that each cow is getting just what 

 she should have to maintain the body and to produce 

 the milk. 



If cows are housed in uncomfortable barns or are 

 not treated kindly, the ration for maintenance must 



