Thirty-fourth Annual Convention. ^^^ 



and so far we find that where cows are milked persistently up to 

 the time of freshening the youngster is not strong when born, 

 comes in a weekly condition, susceptible to all the calf diseases, 

 scours, cholera, etc., that we find among calves ; and I want to 

 say that the difference in the health, strength and vigor of dairy 

 calves and beef calves is because in the former case we use the 

 milk bucket and milking machine and rob the calf before it sees 

 daylight, so I am satisfied the best thing to do is to turn the cow 

 dry four to six weeks before freshening, and then begin feeding 

 her at that time with a special purpose. 



I have no sympathy whatever with the man that feeds any 

 animal simply for the purpose of giving that animal food. When 

 we start to feed anything we should feed with a purpose. If we 

 are feeding for fat to lay on a steer feed for fat and then bear in 

 mind the things that make fat are carbohydrates. If you are 

 feeding for growth of the young animal, whether a pig, calf or 

 colt, remember there are only two constituents in the feed which 

 that animal makes use of for the purpose of making growth, and 

 that is protein and ash. Protein grows muscle, builds up blood, 

 grows hair, hoofs, bone, etc. Ash enters in to assist in growing 

 bone. Other elements of food never take the place of protein and 

 ash. The man that feeds carbohydrates at the expense of protein 

 is making a mistake because he is giving that calf nothing to 

 grow on, much as you would try to build a brick house out of 

 wood. He would come as near doing it, but he might try for a 

 life time and never get his brick house built oat of wood. So 

 when a cow is turned dry, begin feeding not only for the building 

 up of her strength and power for the next period of lactation, but 

 bear in mind that you are feeding at the same time an infant and 

 growing animal. The feed you supply that cow during her rest- 

 ing period will be paid for a good many times after she freshens 

 next time. I have found that a cow freshens in a poor, weak, 

 emaciated condition, tests low and the butter fat content is not 

 as high as though she were stronger and in better health and con- 

 dition. She does not give so much milk and the greatest trouble 

 of all is she will lack persistency. She has not the strength, the 

 power and energy to go ahead for ten or twelve months and milk 

 profitably. She declines in the milk flow and it is only a period 

 of a few months until that cow is milking unprofitably or is dry. 

 So have the cow in a healthy condition and then she starts off 



