32 FEEDING DAIRY CATTLE, 



FEEDING DAIRY CATTLE. 



iJaiiN LOWS require dift'ercnt feed than beef cattle. 



We sliculfl not feed much fat-forming foods, as our cows wuuid lay on fat 

 instead of producing nulk. Feed more silage or roots in the winter season. 



Daily feed for a 1,(100 pound cow; 



(Jive thirty to forty pounds of ensdage ; seven to ten pounds ni chAcr or 

 .alfalfa hay and eight to ten pounds of grain. 



The writer has Ijeen most successful in giving official records t" the C(jws 

 on his iiwn slock farm I)y feeding the following mixture as a grain ration. 



.\jax, 125 ll)s. l-Jran, ICHJ lbs. Ground Oats, 100 lbs. Corn .Meal, 75 lbs. Oil 

 Cake Meal, 511 lbs. 



A gfiod rule to follow in feeding this mixture is to feed a cow one pound to 

 every three pounds of milk she gives. This amount may be increased a little when 

 forcing a cow for an official record. Heavy Milkers should be watered three or 

 four times daily and the water should always be luke warm. The cows that arc 

 soon to calve should be fed on succulent feed, such as silage or roots, bran, 

 ground oats and a small amount of ground Oil Cake, 



Keep the I)owcls open and do not feed very heavy on grains just before or 

 after calving. After calving give a hot bran mash and warm the drinking water 

 for a few days. Before allowing the calf to suck, wash off the cow's udder with 

 Antisepto solution as this prevents intestinal poisoning. Allow the calf to suck for 

 about two days and then feed from a pail his mother's milk for two weeks, about 

 three quarts twice a day or about two Cjuarts three times a day; after that reduce 

 it with skim milk and Dr. Roberts' Calf Meal, so that at the end of the fourth 

 week the calf will be getting all skim milk with Calf Meal, which takes the place of 

 whole milk. The Calf Meal is a valuable food which aids digestion, and has a 

 great tendency to prevent scours. 



Keep a supply of good clover or upland hay within reach, and also some 

 ground oats with a little Calf ^leal mixed with it. After the calf eats the ground 

 feed, gradually get him accustomed to eating whole corn and oats, as this is the best 

 feed for him up to si.x months old. The heifers should not be bred until about 

 15 to 18 months old. 



A good time to dehorn calves is when they are a few days old. Use Horn 

 Killer (see prescription Xo. 2(j, page 175.) ?\lark them with a number tag so you 

 can keep a record of them. 



Keep a record of the breeding of each cow, so you will know^ when she is due 

 to calve, and then allow her to go dry for six weeks before calving. 



The dairy bull shoukl be fed like a working horse and should receive plenty of 

 exercise. You may work him in a tread power. 



The milking is one of the most important parts of the dairy business. The 

 cows should be milked quickly, cleanly and quietly. Do not excite your cows, or 

 llicy will not let their milk down. Don't lick a cow because she kicks. If she 

 kicks, there is some cause for it. Look for the cause and remedy it. It may be 

 a sore teat; it may be an inflamed udder, or it may l:>e that she has been 

 misused and regards her milker as an enemy that she must fight. If such is the 

 case, treat her kindly and she will soon learn that you are not going to harm her. 



Clip the long hair off the udder flanks and tail, and wipe oii the udder with 

 a damp cloth before milking, and you will be surprised to see how nuich cleaner 

 the milk will be. 



Weigh each cow's milk with an accurate scale and test the milk with the 

 Babcock tester and you will be able to see how many of your cows aie paying 

 for themselves. 



