Feeding Dairy Cattle 



XVII. Feeding for Long Distance Records 



FIRST, we should define the term, long distance record. 

 The author likes to think that the champion long dis- 

 tance dairy cow is the cow that will make a creditable 

 seven-day record, follow it up with a good yearly record, and 

 continue this sort of work for several years, producing a calf 

 every year. The average productive life of a cow should be 

 at least five years, with five calves. The profit in the pure 

 bred business comes largely from the sale of the young stock, 

 and this means numbers produced and large records. The 

 cow should be tried out every year for a seven-day record in 

 the hopes that she may improve her previous record. 



The fitting of a cow for a seven-day test each year gives 

 her a big start on her year's record, even if she does not 

 improve her previous weekly record. Fifteen or twenty 

 pounds of fat a week on the start of a yearly record makes a 

 big difference in the yearly total. The easiest time to get this 

 high production of fat seems to be about three weeks after 

 calving. A study of many seven-day records shows that 

 most of them are made at about that time. 

 THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 



It is well to review at this time just what the food is used 

 for. A cow making a long distance record is going to be a 

 hard working animal all the time. After she freshens, she 

 is under a tremendous load producing milk. Soon she is 

 bred, and then to the work of milk production is added the 

 labor of growing a foetus. The work of milk production 

 demands a liberal supply of protein because the solids in 

 milk are nearly 27 per cent, protein. This protein can only 

 be derived from the feed that the cow eats. Then the growth 

 of the foetus demands a liberal supply of protein. All the 

 needs of the animal from a physiological point of view and 

 from a commercial point of view also point to a liberal sup- 

 ply of protein in the feed. This means a relatively narrow- 

 ration, except when dry. The dry period is the time when 

 there is the largest demand for protein for the foetus. From 

 this standpoint, therefore, even when dry, the cow should 

 have a liberal supply of protein. Any excess protein can be 

 used for energy purposes. During the dry period the cow is 

 laying on fat. A liberal supply of protein will help in this. 

 The protein does not seem to be used in the actual forma- 

 tion of the body fat, but has a guiding influence in the nutri- 

 tion of the animal at this time, causing the animal to fatten 

 more readily with less expenditure of feed. 



Page Eighty-three 



