Feeding Dairy Cattle 

 Steamed bone during the lactation period and the feeding of 

 additional phosphorus during the dry period might not be 

 practiced if one so desires. 



The whole question of the proper supply of minerals is 

 very well summed up in an extract from Ohio Bulletin 

 No. 330. 



Get your farm into a high state of fertility, and treat the 

 si)il, if necessary, so that it will grow legumes; then grow 

 them, making as liberal use as is profitable of fertilizers con- 

 taining calcium and phosphorus. 



Consider with care your meadows and pastures; they are 

 often neglected ; if the soil is not rich, the mineral nutrients 

 in pasture grass may be doubled by fertilization. 



Build up the mineral reserves of your cattle by growing 

 them largely on leguminous roughage or on pastures con- 

 taining an abundance of legumes; and allow them exercise, 

 as much as they incline to take. Muscular activity increases 

 the avidity of bone cells for mineral salts. 



Feed leguminous roughage during milk production ; and 

 give the cow a chance to refund mineral overdrafts by con- 

 tinuing the liberal feeding of leguminous roughage during 

 the latter part of the period of lactation, and during the dry 

 period, before the birth of the next calf. 



Use as large a proportion of roughage in the ration as 

 seems practical and profitable. 



If you are short of leguminous roughage and must depend 

 on corn fodder, straw, or hay made from grasses, or if on any 

 other account there is reason to believe that your cows are 

 not receiving proper bone food, give them bone flour. If they 

 are already in good order there will be no marked change in 

 condition but the feeding of bone flour will help to keep them 

 at their best, and is good insurance. 



In conclusion, I think we should see that the experimental 

 evidence with regard to the whole question of mineral 

 nutrition is not definitely decided and that it is very difificult 

 to bring out definitely, any increased milk production through 

 the feeding of additional minerals, but I would like to leave 

 it with dairymen that I definitely suggest the feeding of some 

 steamed bone flour at least during the dry period and for the 

 best results, it seems that we would certainly have better and 

 larger animals with the feeding of some steamed bone flour 

 to our animals during their entire lives. I think there is less 

 doubt of this than there is doubt of the question of feeding 

 the additional phosphorus, in the feeding of sodium 

 phosphate. 



Fage Fifty-one 



