48 



BULLETIN 981, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF ' AGRICULTURE. 



The cows had free access to salt and water, and a shelter was pro- 

 vided for them where they were fed and milked. In addition to the 

 pasturage, the cows received daily 1 pound of a grain mixture for 

 each 4 pounds of milk produced. This mixture was made up of 

 corn, bran, and oil meal in the proportion of 4 to 2 to 1 . 



The cows were weighed before being turned on the pasture and 

 again each 10 days thereafter. Composite samples of the milk were 

 taken every 10 days and tested for butter fat by the Babcock method. 

 On account of the rank growth it was found advisable to mow the 

 grass after the cows were turned into the field. Half the field was 

 first mowed, and two weeks later the other half was cut. A total of 

 7.33 tons of hay was obtained, and after these cuttings the cows had 

 no trouble in keeping the grass eaten down. Notwithstanding the 

 fact that the rainfall for July, August, and September was light, the 

 pasturage proved sufficient for the cows until frost. The cows were 

 taken off the pasture on October 11. Table XVI shows in detail the 

 results obtained from the Sudan grass pasture. 



Table XVI. — Results obtained in pasturing Sudan grass with dairy cattle at Man- 

 hattan, Kans. 





Weight. 



Values. 



Cow. 



At start. 



At close. 



Gain or 

 loss. 



Milk pro- 

 duced. 



Butter 

 fat pro- 

 duced. 



Grain 

 fed. 



Butter 



fat and 



skim 



milk. 



Grain. 



Pasture 

 above 

 cost of 

 feed. 



No. 19 



No. 16 



No. 102.... 

 No. 114.... 

 No. 106.... 

 No. 112.... 



Pounds. 

 1,343 

 1,325 

 1,175 

 1,248 

 1,375 

 1,391 



Pounds. 

 1,302 

 1,267 

 1,200 

 1, 185 

 1, 397 

 1, 380 



Pounds. 

 -41 

 -58 



25 

 -63 



22 

 -11 



Pounds. 

 2. 658. 5 



2, 473. 9 

 1, 104. 3 



3, 334. 5 

 2, 104. 8 



587. 2 



Pounds. 

 82. 08 

 92.19 

 37. 92 

 93. 87 

 61.01 

 19.11 



Pounds. 

 684. 00 

 656. 50 

 366. 25 

 870. 75 

 595. 00 

 263. 25 



$60. 54 

 65. 82 

 27.44 

 70.49 

 47. 35 

 14.46 



$20. 52 

 19.69 

 10. 98 

 26.12 

 17. 85 

 7.89 



$40. 03 

 46.14 

 16.46 

 44.37 

 29.51 

 6.58 



Total.... 



7, 857 



7, 731 



-126 



12, 263. 2 



389. 18 



3, 435. 75 



286. 14 



103. 05 



183. 09 



Table XVI shows an average loss in weight of 21 pounds a head, 

 but this is not as much as milk cows ordinarily lose while on pasture 

 during dry summers. The low average production of milk and 

 butter fat was due to the poor performance of cows 102 and 112. 

 This fact is attributed not so much to the feed as to the lack of 

 persistency of these two cows in maintaining their milk flow late 

 in the lactation period. 



In arriving at the values given in Table XVI, the butter fat has 

 been rated at 60 cents a pound and the skim milk at 50 cents a 

 hundred pounds, assuming that 85 pounds of skim milk would 

 remain after the cream was separated from 100 pounds of fresh 

 milk. If the value of the 7.33 tons of Sudan grass hay at $10 a ton 

 is added to the value of the butter fat and skim milk that the cows 

 produced, the Sudan grass pasture must then be credited with a net 



