68 



Observation and experimental work here during the past twelve 

 or thirteen years lead the writer to consider succulence, variety, and 

 regularity in hours of feeding as the most important factors making 

 for palatability and high digestibility of a ration. 



SUCCULENCE INCREASES PALATABILITY. 



. By succulence is meant juiciness or a high percentage of water 

 in the feed. Giving an abundant supply of water for use along 

 with a dry feed will not have the same effect as causing the cow to 

 take the water as a part of her food. To illustrate: 100 Ibs. of 

 fresh pasture grass may include as much as 85 Ibs. or more of water 

 and only 15 Ibs. or less of dry matter. This 100 Ibs. of pasture grass 

 fed green is, however, as proven by experiment, worth considerably 

 more than the same 15 Ibs. dry matter fed in the shape of 15 Ibs. 

 dry grass and the cow allowed to drink all she will of water along 

 with the dry grass. Further, the cow will take considerably more 

 of almost any kind of dry matter, and digest it more readily and 

 more completely when fed as a succulent than when fed as a dry food. 

 Sucauilence in the winter ration may be secured in several ways. 

 The most common, and the most advantageous from the standpoints 

 of low cost of ration and convenience of handling, is the use of 

 ensilage. Roots of various kinds are however largely used and are 

 very valuable for the purpose. Where both the above are lacking, 

 succulence may be secured by cutting the straw or hay and sprinkling 

 freely with water a few hours or even a couple of days before feeding. 

 Adding aboiut 20 per cent of feed molasses to the water used for 

 sprinkling improves the palatability and effectiveness of such a 

 ration very greatly. Where ensilage is available, it is well to mix 

 from 8 to 12 Ibs. chaff with each 100 Ibs. ensilage. This should be 

 done some little time before feeding to insure the chaff being 

 moistened, 



VARIETY INCREASES PALATABILITY. 



Variety in the ration fed the dairy cow adds greatly to its 

 effectiveness by rendering it more palatable. Variety in fhis con- 

 nection, however, musf not be taken to mean feeding one kind of feed 

 to-day, a different feed or combination of feeds to-morrow and still 

 another ration the next day. Variety in feeding the dairy cow must 

 be secured by combining in the ration, which should be the same or 

 practically the same from day to day, as many different kinds of 



