Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-03-18
Product Of. a Small Dairy.

MEssRs. EpToRs.-l frequently notice
statements of the product Of single cows, and
Of whole diaries, in the Gentleman, and as
this practice is getting to be tashionabe-and
not a bad fashon-ior ] think it will help to
bring about the better Keeping and manage
ment of dairy stock-allow me to give a
statement of the products of my small dairy
of seven COWS, for the year 1860 MY cows
were in bad shape for butter making-three
Of them being heiiers and one larrow. Two
of the heifers were two years old last spring
and dropped their calves the last of Dec,
1853, when little over 20 months Old
therefore gave Iailk upon dry feed for about
five months after calying. The other hciier
was three years old, and the cows from five
to nine years old. The cows dropped their
calves in March and April. They were kept
last winter upon hay, corn-ioddcr, wheat and
barley chaff, with few roots in the spring
and the latter part of winter two quarts Of
barley meal and shorts-of equal proportions
WAS fed to each COW, after being scalded
and made into a slop, and mixed with peck
of cut straw. Since foddering time the pre-
sent winter, their keeping has been corn-fod-
der of the first quality, raised in drills, good
hay, wheat chaf, and four quarts of carrots
daily, but no meal until since they were dried
off, about the middle of Jan. They are now
fed one quart of barley and wheat screenings,
ground. Their summer keeping was rye,
clover grass, green corn, millet, and Hunga-
rian grass, until about the first of Sept. when
they were turned out, and had the run of the
meadows and stubble ground, being fed twice
a day with green corn. Late in the fall they
were fed carrot tops and some pumpkins
seeds and all. At all seasons of the year
they have full supply of food.
| Now, calling the three heiters aud the far
row COW equal to three cows-and | think
the difference would be greater by half a cow
taking into consideration the time when the
two youngest came in--their age at that time,
and the length of time they MIXED before
getting succulent iood--and six would be the
number of cows From their milk, one quart
was reserved daily for table use, and when
more was wanted-or cream-lor cooking
purposes, for a family of five persons, it was
used. We made, then, from six cOws--if
have estimated them Alright 1897 pounds Of
butter, between the first day Of Jan. and the
3lst day Of Dec, 1860, it being fraction
over 23l pounds to the COW. This at % cts
a pound--the price | have usually got for
/ butter--would be s57.75 to the COW. | have
not included the value of the milk fed TO
calves and hogs-their increased value by be-
ing so fed--as much Of this, so often inclu ded
in statements of this kind, | consider fictitious
large deductions should be made for other
food given at the same time, and for the time
and labor of feeding the milk neither have
| added the value of the deacon skins sold
but have simply given the quantity Of butter
made, and its value. would just say how
ever, that | raised one very fine calf, and fat
ted two hogs-the hogs were killed when
about fifteen months old, and one weighed
39S, and the other 445 pounds, and probably
one-half of their feed from first to last, was
milk. One of them | sold for $3.50 hun
bred.
One word about my troubles. | have had
the ill luck for five years past to have far
row cow call it i'll luck for the little milk
obtained through the winter is great both
er when there are no children to eat it,
thought | should escape this winter, but in
December found one of the two year old heif-
ers was farrow. Now what is the usual es-
innate made of farrow cows, as compared
with new milch cows, for butter-making thro'
the season? Is it better to keep such COWS,
it good mixers, or to dispose of them as soon
as found to be farrow, where butter is the
obectf know the saying is" rich as a
iarrow cows milk :" but
In Jan. we tried an experiment with the
farrow heifer just spoken Of One quart Of
milk from each milking for six consecutive
days--making II quarts--was measured and
put by itself, and the cream thereirom was
ehurned, and the product was one pound and