FEEDS FOR THE DAIRY COW 271 



ill effect. This is most fortunate, since this highly nitrogenous feed 

 is usually the cheapest source of protein in the South and often like- 

 wise in the North. Owing to its richness in proteiu, cottonseed meal 

 is e\en more valuable than linseed meal for balancing rations low in 

 this nutrient, and is worth considerably more than gluten feed or 

 dried distillers' grains. Since cottonseed meal is constipating it 

 should be fed with laxative concentrates, such as linseed meal or wheat 

 bran, or with succulent feed, such as silage or roots. The milk of 

 cows heavily fed on cottonseed meal yields a hard, tallowy butter, 

 light in color and poor in flavor. If a moderate allowance is fed in 

 a properly balanced ration, the quality is not injured and may 

 even be improved if the other feeds tend to produce a soft butter. 

 Some authorities recommend feeding no more than 2 to 3 lbs. of 

 cottonseed meal per head daily. However, when this highly nitrog- 

 enous, heavy feed is mixed with others which are bulky and lower 

 in protein and the cows are fed silage or other succulence, as much 

 as 6 lbs. of the meal has been fed daily to large cows with good 

 results. At the North Carolina Station 5 a mixture of equal parts 

 cottonseed meal, dried beet pulp, and dried distillers' grains was 

 highly satisfactory when fed with corn silage. A mixture of cotton- 

 seed meal, corn meal, and wheat bran also gave good results. 



Linseed meal. — This slightly laxative, cooling, protein-rich concen- 

 trate is one of the best dairy feeds, but its popularity usually makes 

 it more expensive than some of the other protein-rich feeds which 

 are usually available. Nevertheless, 1 to 2 lbs. per head daily is 

 often advisable on account of its tonic and laxative effect, especially 

 with cows out of condition and those soon to freshen. Linseed meal 

 tends to produce a soft butter and therefore may be advantageously 

 added to rations that produce a tallowy product. 



Dried distillers' grains. — Dried distillers' grains, which are about 

 as bulky as wheat bran, are extensively employed for feeding dairy 

 cows. Corn distillers' grains are slightly more valuable than gluten 

 feed, but furnish less protein than cottonseed meal or linseed meal. 

 The rye distillers' grains are of lower value than those chiefly from 

 corn. At the Kentucky Station e it was found that some cows would 

 not eat large allowances of dried distillers' grains until they became 

 accustomed to the slightly sour smell and taste. 



Soybeans; soybean meal or cake. — Ground soybeans have proved 

 slightly superior to cottonseed meal when not over 2 to 3.4 lbs. were 

 fed mixed with other concentrates. Too large an allowance of soy- 

 beans makes soft butter. This fault can be corrected by feeding 

 ihem with cottonseed meal. 



■"sProc. Amer. Soc. Anim. Prod. 1914. « Hooper, Ky. Bui. 171. 



