120 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



The only concentrate added to the ration was corn 

 meal, which was from corn raised on this area. This was 

 fed in amounts varying from 2 to 12 lbs. per cow per day, 

 depending upon the cow's milk production and the amount 

 of corn meal available. Usually the cows were fed from 

 four to six pounds per day for a few months when giving the 

 heaviest flow of milk. It is seldom wise to feed as small an 

 amount or variety of grain to high producing cows as was 

 done in this demonstration. One cow was fed as much as 

 12 lbs. of corn meal per day when giving a large amount of 

 milk. This, in addition to the roughage, made a fairly sat- 

 isfactory and balanced ration for a cow producing 45 lbs. 

 of three and one-half per cent milk a day. Twelve pounds 

 of corn meal per day is a large feed of such concentrated, 

 compact grain, and it should be mixed with some lighter 

 and more bulky feed if cows utilize it to the best advantage. 

 This was accomplished by putting the corn meal on the sil- 

 age in the manger at feeding time. 



Rye Pasture Good Soiling Crop. 



Small amounts of soiling crops other than green corn 

 were fed for short periods when available and these crops 

 took the place of a part of the usual alfalfa and silage ra- 

 tion, but as growing these was expensive, few soiling crops 

 were raised except where the alfalfa was failing. Four 

 different seasons rye was drilled in the corn ground after 

 the silo was filled and the cows were allowed to pasture 

 upon this for two or three weeks in the fall and again the 

 same length of time in the spring. The feed thus obtained 

 from rye pasture amounted to practically one-half the ra- 

 tion during the time the cows were on this pasture. 



Cows should be accustomed to rye gradually. We 

 gave them a full feed of their regular ration and turned 

 them on rye only 15 minutes morning and night the first 

 day, 30 minutes the second day, and so on. After a week 

 they were out all day. A half ration of silage and hay kept 

 their bowels from getting too loose and thus prevented the 

 tainting of the milk. 



