122 



DAIRY FARMING 



were somewhat older. The difference will not be very 

 marked unless the animal has also been fed a light 

 ration up to this time and is therefore immature for 

 the age. 



Heavy grain feeding when young, accompanied by late 

 breeding, will develop a heifer to her maximum size. A 

 ration that does not supply an abundance of food in an 

 easily digestible form, as, for example, hay and silage alone, 

 together with early calving will result in a slower growth 

 of the animal and a somewhat smaller size at maturity. 

 The best practice to follow is one between these two ex- 

 tremes. A heifer fed exclusively on roughage is too slow 

 in reaching maturity, while the heavy feeding of grain is too 

 expensive. A good development can be had by feeding 

 good roughage together with about 2 or 3 pounds of grain 

 per day during the winter season. The figures in Table 

 17, as found by the writer, will be of assistance to the 

 farmer who wishes to know whether his young animals are 

 being fed so that their development is up to the average 

 of the breed. 



TABLE 17. AVEEAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT OF DAIRY HEIFERS 



