November 2, 1908 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
the balance of herd could then be 
bred to calve at intervals throughout 
the year. 
To maintain 
revenue at the period when the ma- 
a reasonable milk 
jority of cows are dry, say June to 
August, a good plan is to have all 
heifers replacing culled cows bred to 
calyeat this time of year. 
Feeding Milking Herds. 
H: R. ALEXANDER, 
in ‘ Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W? 
With the exception of the cows of 
town and suburban dairymen, the feed- 
ing of dairy cattle has not so far received 
the attention it deserves, 
Eyery year out dairy farmers are be- 
~ coming more convinced of the advantages 
to be gained by growing and conserving 
sufficient fodder at least to carry their 
stock in fair condition through the winter 
and dry summer periods. 
Nothing could be more disheartening 
to the dairyman than to see a fine spring 
opening out, and his cows too low in con- 
dition to allow of the responding at once 
in milk with the new growth of feed. 
When grass becomes plentiful the poor 
- cow takes some considerable time to come 
properly on in her milk. This means a 
falling off in cows’ milk yield for this 
particular lactation period. Further, a 
-cow in low condition is liable to go down 
under a too liberal supply of fresh young 
grass. 
On the other hand 
being in good heart and having no con- 
dition lee-way to make up, increases at 
once in her ‘milk flow with the spring 
grass. Knowing this, the farmer should 
‘feed not only his milkers but the dry 
cows as well. : 
Under our New South Wales dairying 
- conditions the farmer must regulate his 
- cows and fodder crops to suit his partic- 
ular district. The cows should be bred 
-go that the majority are at full profit 
during the period at which, on the aver- 
- age, it is found feed is most abundant. 
the fed animal 
A A Sard routine. 
La 
milking being 
can then be 
By so doing, 
slack, the heifers 
broken in, and the udders attended 
to. &e., without unduly upsetting the 
These heifers would not 
be again bred to bull till November or 
December, and would then work in with 
the main herd. To allow of economical 
management this regulating of dairy 
herd is advisable; less fodder is required 
to feed dry cows than milkers. Further, 
‘asmall, comparatively freshly-calved lot 
of cows can be given every attention, an 
abundance of feed, and be made to milk 
heavily right through the winter without 
the farmer 
labour expenses. 
In the lower South Coast grass feed is 
found to be most abundant from Septem- 
ber to December. 
February, having seeded, grass is usually 
incurring any additional 
During January and 
somewhat dry, and failing good rains to 
stimulate a fresh growth, the milk flow 
will show a considerable shrinkage, unless 
the cows’ feed is supplemented with some 
green fodder, 
The South Coast farmer should, by 
"growing crops, prepare for feeding his 
dairy herd from January, and to continue 
from then, if need be, right through the 
winter months. On the best managed 
properties a regular supply of green 
fodder could not always be maintained 
even during very favourable seasons. 
There would always be a break between 
the summer crops of maize and sorghum 
and the winter crops of oais, &.,; the 
gap between winter crops and spring 
_ grass would also call for attention. 
To tide over these or other bad periods 
preserves of fodder are necessary. Stacks 
of oaten, lucerne, millet or meadow hay, 
and silage made from any of the crops 
already mentioned, should be on every 
farm. 
Of all crops suitable for dairy-cow feed 
24 
lucerne and maize are the best. While 
maize flourishes on the South Coast, 
lucerne is only grown on isolated places, 
and in many instances with indifferent 
success. Lucerne hay is the ideal concen- 
trated food for the dairy cow. Lucerne, 
fed in conjunction with either green 
maize or silage, makes practically a com- 
plete, home-grown milk-making ration. 
Every dairy farmer having a suitable 
piece of land would profit by growing a 
few acres of lucerne. 
To have a regular supply of maize and 
sorghum for cow-feeding from January, 
begin early in October by sowing a sec- 
tion of paddock sufficiently large to feed 
milking herd for one month, sowing as 
seed in this case one of the early maizes, 
suchas Ninety-day or Early Loeaming. 
Follow up this sowing at an interval of, 
say a fortnight, with another section of 
paddock, using in this case seed of 
Hickory King, R d Hogan, or any other 
tall growing maize, 
Also sow at this time the main crop of 
corn for ensilage making. 
Another sowing of maize could be 
made towards the beginning of Decem- 
ber. From December to January, a 
suitable piece of land being available, as 
acatch crop a sowing of Ninety-day 
maize would, provided frosts held off, 
give a good cutting of green feed py 
April; this crop could be off the land in 
‘ample time to allow of ploughing and 
sowing for late crop of barley or oats. 
During spring months two sowings of 
sorghum should be made. Sorghum 
grows slower than maize, and though not 
80 good a milk-making food, has the 
advantage of holding out after frost much 
better than the corn crop. Sorghum 
should come in as the fodder to follow 
maize. Amber Cane variety is good for 
early feed. Planters’ Friend being the 
better winter stand-by, will cut fresh, 
though frost-bitten, well into June. 
As there is always a risk of losing part 
of crop through heavy rains, it is advis- 
able to either cut, bind and stook, or 
‘make into silage any sorghum required 
for feed after the month of May. Maize 
-and sorghum yield enormous quantities 
of fodder to the acre, and are the South 
Coast farmers’ principal siloing or en- 
