Feed and Care of the Dairy Cow. 469 



once in tlie morning and once late in the afternoon, with an arm- 

 ful of roughage to pick over at midday, appears a reasonable one, 

 and conforms well with the labor requirements of the stable. 

 There are dairymen who are never through feeding. They give 

 first a little of this, then a little of that, keeping themselves busy 

 in the stable most of the day in caring for their cows. The cows 

 of such persons usually yield good returns, and their owners 

 ascribe success to their particular system of feeding, when in- 

 stead it is the general good care and not the particular system 

 that should be credited. As with mankind, habit rules in these 

 matters; and any system which is reasonable, having once been 

 established, should not be set aside unless the feeder is sure of 

 advantage from the change, which should be gradual, if possible. 



705. Order of feeding concentrates, roughage and water. — The 

 digestive tract of the cow is provided with a large storage room 

 for the reception of feed. (28, 32) In the paunch the various 

 articles swallowed are rapidly and thoroughly commingled by the 

 churning action of that organ. Hay and grain are soon thoroughly 

 intermixed, and gradually soften in the warm liquid there so 

 abundant. This being true, the order of supplying the several 

 constituents of the ration is not of importance from a physiological 

 standpoint. The cow seems best satisfied when receiving the 

 concentrates or more appetizing portion of the ration first, and 

 after this has been disposed of she begins in contentment to chew 

 the hay, silage or other roughage placed before her. As barn 

 operations are usually conducted, watering follows dry feed. 



706. Preparation of feed. — As the dairy cow when giving a 

 large flow of milk is accomplishing much work, it is best to pre- 

 pare the feed for rapid mastication when possible without too 

 great cost. Grain should generally be ground and roots sliced. 

 Where labor is high priced, as at the West, it is preferable in 

 many cases to feed the cow in the most simple manner, even 

 though as large returns do not follow. 



707. Dry feed. — Cows take kindly to dry feed, and as a rule 

 prefer it to that in a sloppy condition. Because of the thorough 

 admixture of the contents of the rumen, where there is abun- 

 dance of moisture, there seems no occasion for converting meal 



