244 WINTER FEEDING OF DAIRY COWS 



grain may be withheld and roots substituted at the rate of 11 

 pounds of mangles, 9 pounds of rutabagas or 5 pounds of pota- 

 toes to replace 1 pound of grain. 



If a cow is yielding 40 pounds of 3.8 per cent milk she may 

 be fed hay and silage according to her weight. Then instead 

 of feeding (40 ---3=' 13) 13 pounds of grain, 6I/2 pounds of 

 grain may be fed and 70 pounds of mangles or 60 pounds of ruta- 

 bagas, or 33 pounds of potatoes, substituted in place of the 

 remaining grain. 



Order of Feeding. — It is natural for all animals to be more 

 or less nervous or even irritable when hungry. It is at such 

 times that the milkers are most likely to get into trouble with 

 the cows. It is desirable, therefore, to feed the cow her grain 

 first and to milk while she is eating. Hay should be fed after 

 milking because so often dusty, and silage and roots after milking 

 because of their odor. 



Cows need be fed but twice a day, the total amount of hay, 

 silage and grain being divided equally between the morning and 

 evening meals. 



The balancing of the nutrients of a cow's ration is not now a 

 difiicult task and it is no longer a question that cows consistently 

 fed approximately balanced rations will remain in better phys- 

 ical condition, drop stronger calves and yield more milk at less 

 cost than cows not so fed. 



The kindly and regular care and comfort given the cows has 

 nearly, if not quite, as much to do with profitable returns as has 

 the balancing of the ration. The cow has been said to be " a 

 profitable recipient of affection." 



A silo is an immense barrel into which green feed, like com, 

 is cut to be used as feed for livestock. 



The advantage of the silo in American agriculture may be 

 briefly summarized as follows: 



1. Silage keeps young stock thrifty and growing better than 

 dry fodder. 



2. It produces beef more cheaply than dry hay. 



3. It enables cows to produce milk and butter more econom- 

 ically. 



