Tfc* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Live Stock Matters 
Conducted By Prof. F. C. Minkler 
The Dorset Sheep 
I would like to know about the Dorset 
sheep. What is the average size? How 
much wool do they yield? Can they 
raise two crops of lambs in one year? 
Pennsylvania. n. G. 
The Dorset breed of sheep has steadily 
gained in popularity due to the fact that 
they produce two crops of lambs per sea¬ 
son, and at the same time yield an 
average clip of wool. A modern ewe 
will weigh in the neighborhood of 140 
to 165 lbs. On an average she will yield 
from 9 to 11 lb« of wool per season. She 
will raise two crops of lambs, particu¬ 
larly if care is taken in providing a gen¬ 
erous amount of feed’ at the outset pre¬ 
vious to the mating season. The Dorset 
ewes are particularly heavy milkers, thus 
making it possible to grow the lambs well 
and rapidly. There is no particular se¬ 
cret about persuading a Dorset ewe to 
yield two crops of lambs during the sea¬ 
son. It is natural for her to yield them, 
and it is only important that she be gen¬ 
erously fed and intelligently fed during 
the Winter season. 
“Shepherd Hoy” makes the following 
claims for the breed. ‘‘As an early lamb 
raiser the Dorset has no rival, if indeed 
an equal. As milkers they are unsur¬ 
passed, and it is very rarely that a ewe 
is found that cannot supply the necessary 
nourishment for her offspring, be it twins 
or even triplets. They are very prolific, 
giving large percentages of twins and 
often triplets. Tn England they are 
looked upon as the best of the horned i 
breeds. Frequently the ewes breed as 
early as May and June, and the lambs 
are usually dropped in October and No¬ 
vember, so that they are the principal 
sources of the supply of hot-house and 
early lambs, which about Christmas and 
the following month are esteemed a great 
luxury and accordingly command a high 
price. . . .” 
The wool of the horned lamb is very 
much sought after for its peculiar white¬ 
ness and its fine texture. This breed 
of sheep is especially well adapted to 
farms that have well watered meadows, 
as they possess splendid feeding qualities 
and fatten readily. It is claimed that 
the Dorset will thrive on rough land. It 
is well to remember that this breed, like 
most other British breeds, will return 
larger dividends on good lands. No 
breed will respond to good treatment more 
readily than the Dorset. In its native 
land it is well cared for. and it cannot 
be expected to thrive under unfavorable 
conditions. It is well also to remember 
that the Dorset is not dog-proof any more 
than any of the other breeds of sheep. 
Naturally the Dorset will defend himself 
and bis offspring as much as possible 
against the attacks of dogs; but they are 
quite as helpless when dogs attack them 
as any of the other breeds. Tt would 
seem to me that this breed of sheep is 
particularly well suited for the condi¬ 
tions that prevail in New York, New Jer- 
sesy and Pennsylvania, and it is but 
natural that we should find the breed 
popular throughout this district. 
Feeding Purebred Jersey Cows 
Will you give me a ration for my 
purebred Jersey cows? I keep four for 
my own family use. 
I have been lining a mixed feed but de¬ 
sire to buy and mix mynown feed. I have 
also been using a combination of corn, 
oats, middlings, bran and cottonseed. 
Michigan. g. w. ir. 
The mixture that you have been feed¬ 
ing ought to be well suited for the condi¬ 
tions you describe. It is distinctly one of 
the popular brands of compounded feeds, 
and I am at a loss to understand why 
it did not yield satisfactory results. Since 
you prefer to utilize a shovel mixture I 
would suggest the following combination: 
200 lbs. ground oats; 200 lbs. ground 
corn: 200 lbs. middlings or bran; 150 lbs. 
cottonseed meal; 100 lbs. oil meal; 150 
lbs. gluten meal: 20 lbs. salt. 
This is intended for cows in milk. In¬ 
creased production would result from 
feeding 15 to 25 lbs. of moistened beet 
pulp per cow per day. One pound of 
dn beet pulp would require five lbs. of 
water to saturate. 
For dry cows I would use a mixture of 
30 lbs. of cornmeal; 30 lbs. of oats; 25 
lbs. of bran; 15 lbs. of oilmeal; 2 lbs of 
salt. Uuless you are using Alfalfa or 
clover hay as roughage you cannot ob¬ 
tain maximum or satisfactory results. 
Leafy roughage is quite as essential a«s a 
carefully compounded grain ration, and 
this may be the occasion of your failure 
to get satisfactory results from the mixed 
feed. Feed the cows all the roughage 
that they will consume, and insist that 
they put on flesh during their dry period. 
Trouble with Churning 
What is wrong with my churning? I 
am milking NRn cows due to freshen in 
three months, and get about two gallons 
of milk a day. My cream seems to ripen 
all l ight but when I churn it just doubles 
the bulk and the butter will not gather. 
After it is allowed to set awhile it gets 
like foam all over the top. I have tried 
letting it staud and after an hour or so 
taking off the butter I can get. hut find 
the butter will not mix and is like gran¬ 
ules such as are found in lard. I have 
tried each cow’s milk separately churning 
and have had good results, but when I 
mix it I can get no butter. o. J. L. 
New York. 
The indications are that you are churn¬ 
ing the cream too cold. Try churning 
warmer. You will probably find a suit¬ 
able temperature for churning somewhere 
between 55 and 62 degrees. When the 
cows freshen and are feeding on green 
grass it will be necessary to lower the 
churning temperature to such a degree 
as to produce firm butter. If this is not 
done the butter will be too soft, and too 
much butterfat will be lost, in the but¬ 
termilk. 
Feeding Holstein Herd 
I would like to have you name two or 
three simple rations for m.v grade llol- 
steins, to be fed with mixed hay; no corn 
silage. Can you make up ration of meal, 
bran and oilmeal? 1 want a good ration 
to make milk and still hold flesh._ Also a 
safe one, so I can feed lots of it. The 
three feeds mentioned I can get, and 
sometimes gluten. G. B. A. 
New York. 
March 26, 1921 
It is possible to compound a very satis¬ 
factory ration for average producing cows 
from the materials mentioned. I would 
suggest the following: 200 lbs. of corn- 
meal or hominy, 200 lbs. ground oats, 100 
lbs. bran or middlings, 150 lbs. oilmeal or 
cottonseed meal. 200 lbs. gluten meal. I 
should include 2 per cent of salt and, in 
case the animals were not in good flesh. I 
should add 200 lbs, of beet pulp or 200 
additional lbs. of corn or hominy meal. 
Make sure that the animals are given all 
of the leafy roughage that they will con¬ 
sume with relish, for this material is 
oftentimes a limiting factor in milk pro¬ 
duction. 
For your dry cows I would use* a mix¬ 
ture consisting of 30 lbs. of cornmeal, 2,0 
lbs. of oats, 25 lbs. of bran, 15 lbs. of oil¬ 
meal. 2 lbs. of salt. This would be equal¬ 
ly as well suited for young animals, and 
you could feed this mixture in generous 
quantities to the dry cows. In fact, it is 
necessary that they put ou considerable 
flesh during their rest period if it is de¬ 
sired to have them milk to the best ad¬ 
vantage when they freshen. 
7N 
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