THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 59 



The feed that is given the cow should be good 

 quaHty that of bad quahty may ferment, caus- 

 ing indigestion and occasionally other chronic 

 disease conditions. Feeds that contain too large 

 a part of indigestible material are liable to cause 

 such a severe strain upon the digestive organs as 

 to overwork them, thus producing diseases of 

 various kinds. Feeds that are affected with the 

 various rusts, molds and fungi will often cause 

 severe and violent inflammation of the digestive 

 tract, accompanied by colicky pains and diar- 

 rhoeas. They may also cause the development 

 of dangerous and often fatal ptomaines. 



Cows should be fed only at regular intervals 

 and the feeding should not be done at any con- 

 venient time, as is often practiced. The digestive 

 organs accustomed to doing their work at stated 

 intervals are not nearly so apt to become over- 

 worked. 



Feed should not be too rich in nutrients nor too 

 concentrated, as cows are unable to subsist on 

 feeds that do not furnish the required bulk. 

 Cows require a certain bulk in their ration and it 

 has been determined that a cow requires some- 

 where in the neighborhood of 25 pounds of 

 roughage per day, as a necessary part of her 

 ration. If the digestive organs are not properly 

 distended the cow will become restless and show 

 evidence of digestive disturbance. There would 

 be no objection, however, in feeding a concen- 

 trated feed high in nutrients and containing very 

 little bulk by itself, if at some other time in the 



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