Feeding Dairy Cattle 



SILAGE FRe)M FROSTED CORN. 



In the colder parts of the top tier of states in the United 

 States, if we are going to leave our corn in the field until it 

 is full\- glazed, or even later, often it is going to get fro-ted. 

 There is now enough experience on this point to enable us to 

 say that frosted corn will make just as good silage as other 

 corn if properly cared for. First, the corn that has been 

 frosted must be cut at once, because if left in the fields it will 

 shatter and lose some in this way if it dries out too much. 

 Then if the frosted corn is rained on A-ery much the same 

 losses will occur as would occur if the corn were cut and 

 shocked. 



When frosted corn is cut into the silo water enough must 

 be added to make the silage pack well. Practically it is 

 nearly impossible to do this unless the blower type of silage 

 cutter is used. Then the water is introduced into the blower 

 and the silage is thoroughly and evenly wet. ^A'ater enough 

 will be added if a good stream, without much pressure, is run 

 into the blower with a three-quarter-inch hose. The writer 

 has had two years' experience with silage made from frosted 

 corn in this \\'ay and when fed it could not be distinguished 

 from ordinary silage. 



We would advise, then, that when there is a blower 

 cutter available and a stream of water that can be intro- 

 duced into the blower, corn should be allowed to mature 

 beyond the glazed stage before it is cut. AVe would even 

 suggest that some chance be taken with early frosts in 

 order to get a more matured plant with the verv evidently 

 greater food value than there is if cutting is put off until 

 the kernels are fully glazed. 



VIII. The Ideal Ration For a Dairy Cow 



THE point of view in this paper is the proper ration for 

 a dairy cow after she has freshened and is in full flow 

 of milk. How shall we feed her to get maximum 

 production? Farmers wish to know what is the "best" dairv 

 ration. The answer must always be in terms of the sur- 

 roundings on each person's own farm. Perhaps it will be 

 best to begin the discussion with a definition of the "lie^t" 

 dairy ration. That ration is the best which will brine about 

 the greatest producton at the least cost, and in lookino- at 

 production in these days we must look at the records that 

 the cows make as well as the actual milk produced. There 

 is more money in the record and in the offspring than in the 



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