990 
Vie RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
Live Stock Matters 
Conducted By Prof. F. C. Minkler 
Feeding Dry Cows 
1 have grade Holsteins due to freshen 
in about a month. I would like a grain 
ration for them and a balanced ration 
after they freshen. I have oats, corn and 
buckwheat to grind, and can buy bran, 
oilmeal and gluten. I am feeding mixed 
hay (clover and Timothy) and cornstalks 
for roughage. H. g. Q. 
New York. 
1 doubt whether there is • any ration 
bettei suited for feeding dry cows than a 
mixture consisting of equal parts of corn- 
meal, ground oats, wheat bran and oil- 
meal. If the cows are thin in flesh it would 
be well to increase the amount of corn and 
oats, and if they could have access to 
Alfalfa or even clover and Timothy hay 
that you have available they should ho 
given all the hay they will clean up with 
relish. It is important that cows be given 
a rather generous feeding of grain during 
their dry period in order that they can 
put on some flesh and gain in strength 
and vigor so that they will come through 
calving time normally and respond 
promptly to the demands of their milk¬ 
making tendency when their lactation 
begins. If bran is too expensive, that is, 
if it costs more than $40 a ton, I would 
suggest that you substitute ground buck¬ 
wheat using an equal amount of buck¬ 
wheat to replace the wheat bran. 
After your cows freshen it would be 
well to modify this ration somewhat by 
adding gluten or cottonseed meal, in 
the following proportion: 200 lbs. of 
corn-and-eob meal, 200 lbs. of ground 
oats, 100 lbs. of buckwheat, 200 lbs. of 
gluten, 100 lbs. of oilmeal. Let them 
have all of the stalks and roughage that 
they will clean up twice daily. 
Starting with Pigs 
I want to keep a few pigs, either 
Duroes or Berkshires. Will it Ibe well 
for me to pay $125 for a well-bred gilt 
due to farrow early this Spring? What 
kind of house, and how large, shall I 
need? Is the farrowing process too much 
for a novice to manage? w. R. k. 
New York. 
The suggested price of $125 for a pure¬ 
bred gilt is not excessive, provided the 
individual traces to animals that are 
notable for their prolificacy .and early- 
maturing qualities. In fact, if you are 
launching into the pig business with the 
intention of producing animals suitable 
for breeding purposes, it is doubtful if 
you could obtain a bred gilt worth while 
at a less figure, Ho to some responsible 
breeder whose reputation would make it 
imperative that he sell you something 
worth the money, and you would be per¬ 
fectly justified in making such an invest¬ 
ment. 
Perhaps the best type of house suitable 
for farrowing purposes is what we have 
come to know as the A type economy hog- 
house. It is SxS feet on the ground and 
eight feet from the floor to the peak, and 
will provide ample quarters for farrow¬ 
ing purposes. Plans and drawings of this 
A type colony hoghouse have repeatedly 
appeared in tiie columns of Tue R. N.-Y., 
but we should be very glad to send you 
specifications upon request. If the brood 
sow lias access to the A type colony hog¬ 
house it is not necessary to give her much 
attention at farrowing time. In fact, it 
is much better to leave her alone, pro¬ 
vided she is normal and large enough to 
farrow. The ration should be reduced 
previous to farrowing, in order to avoid 
any possible chance of congestion of the 
udders and fever condition that might 
cause irritation and nervousness. Do not 
make the mistake of over-feeding her and 
thus killing the pigs with kindness. When 
the youngsters are small they do not re¬ 
quire very much milk, but rather require 
a quiet, patient mother that will not be 
jumping up and down, but let the pigs 
nurse frequently. Increase the ration of 
the brood sow as the pigs make a demand 
for more milk; but remember that a little 
pig does not take very much milk until 
he is f wo or three weeks old. 
Fig uring Grain Ration 
A 1.000-lb. cow in mid-lactation, giving 
21 lbs of 4.7 per cent milk, is fed Timo¬ 
thy and silage and 7 lbs. per day of: Corn 
1. bran 1. linseed 1, cottonseed 1. With 
this feed she maintains a constant weight 
and the same flow of milk less a normal 
decrease. What would be the result if 
fed 7 lbs. of: Bran 1. linseed 1. cotton¬ 
seed 1 ? Or 7 lbs. of : Corn 2, bran 1, 
linseed 1. cottonseed 1? Roughage same. 
In other words, with the same roughage, 
how can you tell by the weight and milk 
flow whether the ration of the grain feed 
is too high or too low? T. B. 
Maine. 
The proposed substitution of a ration 
consisting largely of bran for one you 
have of equal parts of corn, bran, linseed 
and cottonseed meal would be more expen¬ 
sive and les* efficient. While bran costs 
less per ton than does cottonseed meal, 
linseed meal, or even cornmeal, you will 
find that for a unit of digestible material 
it k, perhaps the most expensive constitu¬ 
ent that you are including in your com¬ 
bination. A ration consisting of equal 
parts of bran, linseed and cottonseed meal 
would be unusually narrow, and would 
not supply sufficient carbohydrates to 
maintain the body flesh and normal body 
weight. One should aim to provide a 
dairy cow with a ration approximating 
4lbs. of carbohydrates to each pound 
of "digestible protein, and without corn it 
would be expensive to rely upon the other 
materials to supply this content. 
There is no definite rule that can be 
stated that would answer your question 
absolutely. One must rely upon the phys¬ 
ical appearance of the animal as well as 
the production. If, by increasing the 
amount of grain, the milk flow increases, 
then you are justified in taking this step. 
One the other hand. if. by reducing the 
amount of grain a certain percentage still 
makes it possible for the cow to continue 
her normal flow of milk and not lose in 
flesh, then it is evident that you are feed¬ 
ing an extravagant amount of grain and 
the feed should be reduced. Experience 
is the only school that will convince a 
feeder of dairy cows that much depends 
upon the individual cow, and that her 
likes and dislikes must be quite generally 
catered to. 
Improving Old Pasture 
How can I improve my pasture land 
of about 10 acres? It has been in Blue 
grass, but the severe dry Summers of last 
two years have killed it out in places. 
This ground cannot be worked, as it is too 
hilly and partly with cotton rocks near 
the surface. Would sowing over with 
Blue grass, Timothy or other grass seeds 
be advisable? I think soil rich enough 
May 22, 1920 
for anything in the line of grass, c. p. 
Jefferson Co., Mo. 
It has been my observation and experi¬ 
ence that pasture, particularly Blue grass-, 
will not kill out easily if plenty of fer¬ 
tility and plant food is kept in the soil. 
Blue grass drains the soil quickly of its 
phosphate and lime supply, and when 
pastured permanently there is nothing 
returned. I think in this case one should 
give the ground a coating of manure at 
the rate of six to eight tons per acre, 
and top-dress with acid phosphate at the 
rate of 200 lbs. per acre; also add lime¬ 
stone if the underlying rocks are not 
limestone. 
A mixture of 10 lbs. Blue grass. 8 lbs. 
Redtop, 0 lbs. Timothy, 4 lbs. Red clover 
and 2 lbs. Alsike clover per acre will 
make a fair seeding. This mixture should 
be applied in places where it is killed out, 
and the grass should come on rather 
quickly after this application, but should 
not be pastured too heavily, as it takes 
a year for the Blue grass to start. We 
have always been able to build up our 
pastures, in this manner, but a decreasing 
pasture sward is good evidence of lack 
of fertility, which must be maintained if 
pastures are to be kept to their maximum. 
C. if.B. 
Lame Sow 
I have a Poland China sow 1\(, years 
old that is lame in one hind leg. She lias 
been lame ever since she farrowed. What 
is wrong with her. and what can I do for 
her? Would it be advisable to keep her 
for a brood sow? I took the pigs away 
from her, but she does not get any better. 
North Carolina. b. B. c. 
A careful examination will be necessary 
to determine the cause of lameness, and 
we cannot decide such a question without 
such an examination. Overfeeding, lack 
of exercise and consequent constipation 
commonly cause lameness or paralysis of 
the hind legs in nursing sows, and if they 
recover it is not well to breed them again. 
Examination may show that the cause in 
the sow in question is more simple, and 
therefore amenable to treatment, a. s. a. 
Feed Two Sacks of 
Larro to One Cow 
Then Her Milk Yield Must Increase 
or You Get Your Money Back 
For saven year* Larro has bean sold under this guarantee—just as 
reproduced at the left. To the man who is not yet a Larro user it la 
an absolute promise of better results from his cows—to the vetsran 
Larro user it is double assurance that Larro today is the same 
as it was in the beginning—that its quality will never be changed. 
A Balanced Ration 
O*' 1 L &0 n<* , , ate v oV 
sew* Jrc^fy° ut 
lerrtvs 
MIowf 
PRODUCTS 
That the Cowt Enjoy 
The cows like Larro because it’s so 
palatable—tastes so good—and it’s 
so digestible that an unusually high 
percentage is turned into actual 
milk production. 
You get more milk with Larro be¬ 
cause it isn’t a one-sided ration, but 
a nutritious balanced food. 
Ths protein is there—in just the pro¬ 
portion to maintain the highest pos¬ 
sible milk flow over a long period 
and the carbohydrates are there too, 
DEALERS: Get the Larro Proposition 
The Larrowe Milling Company, 609 Larrowe Bldg., Detroit,U.S.A. 
and the other necessary elements 
alt the ingredients soientifically 
mixed by automatic machinery with 
just one purpose in view, to produce 
milk-pail results. 
Buy Larro From Your Dealer 
Go to your local dealer and buy 
Larro under the terms of this Money 
Back guarantee—with the certainty 
that no matter how much milk your 
cows are producing on their present 
ration they will do better on Larro. 
If your dealer does not carry Larro 
write us at once. 
THE READY RATION FOR DAIRY COWS 
Dorset Ewe and Two-weeks-old Lamb. Owned by Beaver Meadow Farm 
Warren County, N. Y. 
