Thirty-fourth Annual Convention. ^^ 



week of the first period the grain was raised to 14 pounds. At 

 the end of eight weeks the hay was changed on both lots, lot I 

 receiving the alfalfa, and lot II the timothy. The grain was 

 changed to 12 pounds and the corn stover reniained the same 

 for both lots. This food was not weighed to each individual 

 cow but to the lot, then divided nearly equally or according to 

 milk flow. 



The records were kept for 25 weeks in all : three weeks 

 before' the test started ; one week before each period, for the 

 cows to adjust themselves to the change; and four weeks after 

 the close of the second period. The preliminary period of feed- 

 ing was from Nov. 26 to Dec. 17. During this period the rough- 

 age consisted of corn stover and a mixture of alsike clover and 

 timothy. 



The first period of eight weeks extended from December 

 25th to February 18th. The second period of eight weeks ex- 

 tended from February 25 to April 22nd. The charts on page 

 184 show that it required about three to four weeks for the cows 

 to adjust themselves to the change in the ration. The milk flow 

 increased or decreased very rapidly for that length of time when 

 a more or less constant flow was maintained. Eight weeks is 

 a short period for a feeding test, yet at the end of this time the 

 owner was glad to change the rations, because lot I had lost much 

 in milk flow, in flesh and in general condition. If such a great 

 change takes place in such a short time, it is easy to see why so 

 many of the dairy cattle of Illinois come out of the winter in 

 such poor condition and have a very small milk account to their 

 credit. 



There is much in breeding and in the individuality of the 

 cow, but there is also much in careful feeding. 



The following tables show the weekly production of each 

 cow and the average for the nine cows in each lot. 









Lot 



No. 1. 









Week 













Line 





Ending. Lucy. 



Blue. 



Black. 



Lill. 



Joe. 



Spot. 



Black. Star. 



, Molly. Av. 



Dec. 3..*203.0 



138.5 



202.3 



240.0 



220.0 



210.0 



197.5 250.0 



218.0 215.5 



Dec. 10.203.0 



205.9 



203.7 



240.0 



220.0 



210.0 



194.2 250.0 



218.0 216.1 



Dec. 17.203.1 



204.7 



206.5 



240.0 



220.0 



210.0 



188.6 *251.5 



218.0 215.9 



Dec. 24.. 198.3 



192.7 



207.6 



240.0 



215.0 



208.0 



180.3 248.2 



*218.6 212.1 



Dec. 31.192.2 



191.6 



206.0 



240.0 



210.0 



200.0 



177.3 235.2 



198.3 205.4 



