48 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



SO I see that their rations are balanced. The ration is two 

 pounds of protein to 13 pounds of carbo-hydrates, and a little 

 over half a pound of fat to each cow. We make the mixture 

 of these grains and then give each cow^ all that she will eat. 

 These pictures before you were taken after the cows had been 

 fed heavily, this one five and that six years, except for about 

 ten days before they came in. The cows are fed in the morn- 

 ing about 5 o^clock, and 5 o'clock means 5; it is not 10 minutes 

 after 5 nor 10 minutes before 5, and it is the same way with 

 milking. When the boys come into the barn, each cow gets 

 her ration according to her capacity; one cow 12 pounds, an- 

 other 14 to 15, and so on, just as heavy as they will eat. After 

 the grain is put in their boxes, the boys commence to milk 

 in regular order. Then after the milking is over they are 

 given a little roughage, and the boys go to breakfast. After 

 feeding, the cows are let out into a wide runw^ay, and there 

 they are left all day. We don't let them go out and fill 

 themselves with straw or cornstalks, of which they can make 

 little use, in place of the wholesome balanced ration they 

 should receive when they come in for the supper. So our 

 cows have two meals a day and no more. I find that if I let 

 them pick around and oat straw and so on, they become 

 irregular in their habits and they do not do nearly as well as 

 where they are confined to two simple rations per day, it 

 only takes them 15 or 20 minutes to eat their meals, and 

 when they are through and are put into their enclosed run- 

 way, they lie down and chew their cud and digest their food, 

 and convert it, all that they do not need for the body, into 

 milk. 



Mr. Monrad: Do you let them out every day? 



Prof. Haecker: Yes, for a little while, if the weather is 

 pleasant. 



Mr. Dietz: How do you water them? 



Prof. Saecker: In the center of the runway is a tank of 

 water, and there is also a box of salt ; they can help themselves 

 at any time to either. 



Mr. Johnson: Do T understand you that the butter only 

 costs 3 cents a pound and the milk only 20 cents a hundred? 



Prof. Haecker: Yes; you must remember this was from 

 December 30 to May 3. 



