248 CARE OF DAIRY CATTLE 



a good feed for a milk cow. In addition to this roughage 

 allowance, the cow should receive one pound of good grain 

 mixture per day for each pound of butter fat produced 

 weekly. The grain mixture should be made up of at least 

 three different grains or concentrated feeds. It is well to 

 grind feeds for dairy cows. 



According to weight the ration should be made to vary 

 directly, heavy cows requiring more feed than light ones. 



In the summer time the cows will do well on pasture dur- 

 ing the early part of the season, but as soon as fly time comes 

 on arid the pasture gets dry, the cows should be kept in the 

 barn during the heat of the day, at least, and be fed fresh-cut 

 green crops or " summer silage," which is simply silage kept 

 over until the summer time. If the cow is an exceptionally 

 good one it pays to feed her about one half of her regular 

 grain ration while on pasture. 



Water and Salt. — Dairy cows should at all times have 

 free access to salt and water. Barns are now built equipped 

 with drinking cups and salt licks for each cow. During the 

 period of lactation, a cow will drink much more water than 

 during the period in which she is not in milk. 



Tuberculosis in Cattle. ^ Tuberculosis is one of the 

 worst diseases with which the farmer has to contend. 

 It thrives best where animals are kept in confinement and 

 under imnatural conditions. On the open range very little 

 of it is known. Cattle kept in well- ventilated barns are not 

 as liable to contract the disease as those housed in filthy 

 and poorly ventilated stables. Hence this disease is more 

 dreaded by dairymen than by the producers of beef cattle. 

 It also attacks hogs and chickens, but is most destructive 

 in cattle, and is but little prevalent in horses and sheep. 



Tuberculosis is caused by the tubercle bacillus. It may 



