MILK. 115 



F. Albert =*' and M. Maercker found that feedin^^ rations rich 

 in fat caused a decided increase in the fat of the milk, but a study 

 of their data shows that their feeding periods were very short, 

 being- from 7 to 14 days each. The greatest increase both in 

 the per cent of fat in the milk and total yield obtained with a 

 ration rich in fat over one poor in fat was in a feeding period of 

 only seven days. In another trial when two rations rich in fat 

 followed in succession, making a total of about twenty-four days 

 for the two periods, the average yield of fat fell off in the latter 

 period to about the same as was obtained from the previous 

 ration poor in fat. 



The author attributes this loss to an over feeding of fat and 

 makes no account of the cow being allowed sufficient time to 

 accommodate herself to the abnormal ration. He also states 

 that there was a great accumulation of body fat and thinks that 

 possibly the results suggest a means of rapidly fattening a dry 

 cow. 



S. Rhodin f reports some results of feeding emulsified oils to 

 cows in feeding periods of three to four weeks duration. The 

 author briefly states in his conclusion that the fat content of the 

 milk was increased at first by feeding oil in the form of an emul- 

 sion, but later on no increase took place ; the milk on the con- 

 trary, dropped to its previous normal fat content. 



The results of the experiment, presented • in the following 

 tables, are rather meager from which to draw any definite con- 

 clusions. They would be more satisfactory if all the records 

 could be given, and the ration rich in fat had been continued 

 through the third period as was planned, but owing to an error 

 on the part of a workman, the fat ration was reduced nearly 

 one-half. 



The results are of interest, hoAvever, in showing .the very 

 decided increase in fat content of the milk for the first two weeks 

 of the period when a ration rich in fat was fed and also the 

 decided drop in the third week. The percentages of fat are 

 lower in the third period than in the second but not materially 

 different from those of the last two weeks of the first period and 

 it is the belief of the wTiter that they were not decreased by the 

 less amount of fat fed, but by the cows' gradual return to their 

 normal capacity. 



* Landw. Jahrb. 27 (189S.). f K. Landt. Akad. Handl., 37 (18S8) No. 1, pp. 25-33. 



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