134 DAIRY FARMING 



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 about three weeks for this purpose. The 

 grain ration should consist of a mixture of several concen- 

 trates, all of which are palatable. So long as the animal re- 

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

 necessary. Special attention must be given to the physical 

 condition of the cow. A careful herdsman always closely 

 observes the character of the dung excreted, and learns 

 to judge when the digestion is normal. At the first 

 indication of lack of a keen appetite the ration is cut down 

 until the animal is again in condition to utilize the full 

 amount. If the digestion gives indication of even slight 

 disorder, a purgative, such as Epsom salts, 1 to 1J pounds 

 at a dose, should be administered at once. The grain 

 should always be eaten with a relish, and the animal 

 should show a disposition to want a little more than she 

 receives. 



A ration for a heavy-milking cow must be rich in 

 protein. Much more grain should be fed in proportion 

 to the roughage than with an ordinary producer. In 

 fact, for the maximum production of a great producer, 

 the nutrients will need to be largely supplied by con- 

 centrates. 



The following daily ration was fed by the writer to a Jersey 

 cow that was producing daily 40 pounds of milk, containing 

 2 pounds of fat. The cow weighed about 900 pounds and 

 produced during the year 13,895 pounds of milk and 680 

 pounds of fat. The same grain mixture was fed during the 

 greater part of the milking period, including the pasture 

 season. 



