FEEDING FOR MILK PRODUCTION 285 



be taught to demand her grain ration when milking, but will 

 milk just as well if always fed either before or after milking, 

 and will not look for it at the time of milking. 



FEEDING HIGH-PRODUCING COWS FOR THE MAXIMUM PRO- 

 DUCTION 



The maximum production is secured from high-producing 

 cows only by a combination of the expert herdsman and the 

 best possible ration and conditions. Such cows cannot be 

 fed entirely by any rule, nor their ration calculated by a for- 

 mula. The individual animal and her characteristics must 

 be taken into account as well. One of the essential things 

 is having the animal in the proper condition of flesh at calv- 

 ing. She should be dry for two months or more for the best 

 results, and well fed during this period. Some form of succu- 

 lence is absolutely necessary as a part of the ration. Roots, 

 such as common beets, sugar beets, or mangels are even better 

 than silage for this purpose, and may be fed up to 50 pounds 

 or more per day. 



The cow must be brought up to the full ration carefully 

 after calving, using at least three weeks for this purpose. 

 The grain ration should consist of a mixture of several con- 

 centrates all of which are palatable. As long as the animal 

 remains in normal condition, no change in the grain ration is 

 necessary. Special attention must be given to the physical 

 condition of the cow. In this connection the careful herds- 

 man always observes closely the character of the dung ex- 

 creted, and learns to judge in this way when the digestion is 

 normal. At the first indication of the lack of a keen appetite 

 the ration is cut down until the animal is in a condition to 

 again utilize the full amount. If the digestion shows in- 



