FEEDING DAIRY CATTLE 313 



"It is necessary in using a milk supplement other than skim milk 

 to feed a considerable amount of whole milk. The amount of milk 

 required is about a pound daily for every eight pounds of live weight 

 until the animal is four or five weeks old. At that age a milk supple- 

 ment may be substituted gradually for the milk. Such a supplement 

 may be prepared as a gruel mixture made up of equal parts of oil meal, 

 blood meal, hominy and flour. The gruel is made by pouring hot water 

 over the meal while it is stirred vigorously, after which it is allowed to 

 stand before being used. The gruel may be fed at such a rate that the 

 animal receives the equivalent of one fourth pound of dry meal daily 

 at the beginning, the amount being increased about one fourth of a 

 pound daily each week for four weeks. As a rule the use of milk should 

 be continued until the calf is at least 60 days of age. At two months of 

 age the calf will have received about 400 pounds of whole milk in addi- 

 tion to the milk supplement." 



Feeding the dairy heifer after weaning calls for securing 

 a consistent, strong growth by the use of as much good 

 roughage as possible and a relatively small amount of 

 grain. There is nothing better for this purpose than legume 

 hay, corn silage, and 2 or 3 pounds of grain a day. In an 

 extended report* on experiments on "winter rations for 

 dairy heifers," Prof. C. H. Eckles offers some practical sug- 

 gestions from which the following is abstracted. 



(1) When silage and legume hay is available, a ration of corn 

 silage, alfalfa, clover, cowpea or soy bean hay at will, and 2 pounds 

 daily of grain also, if the calf is under 10 months old, is recommended. 

 Corn may be fed, or a mixture of other grains if the cost is less. From 

 2 to 5 pounds of grain a day should be fed heifers within 3 months of 

 calving. 



(2) When legume hay is not available but com silage is, use silage 

 at will with some other dry hay or fodder. Two or 3 pounds of some 

 concentrates should be fed daily, half of which should be rich in protein, 

 such as gluten feed, linseed meal or cottonseed meal, the other half 

 being corn, bran, or any other mixture if cheaper than corn. 



(3> When legume hay is abundant, but no silage, a ration of alfalfa, 

 clover, cowpea or soy bean hay at will, and 2 pounds of corn daily will 

 make a satisfactory ration. On a ration of legume hay dairy heifers 

 will do fairly well but will not make a normal growth. It is economical as 

 a rule to feed a limited amount of grain in addition. 



(4) When corn fodder, or Kafir corn or timothy hay is available, 

 but no silage or legume hay, it will be wise to buy legume hay. The 

 suggested ration is half and half legume and timothy hay, with corn 

 fodder at will. For concentrates with this roughage feed a mixture of 

 one part gluten feed, or cottonseed meal, or linseed meal, and two parts 

 corn. If legume hay is not at all available, then more grain must be fed. 



Feeding the milk-producing cow offers an opportunity 



to make up many combinations of rations. It must be 



♦Bulletin 158 Miasouri Station, October, 1918. 



