Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-01-22
Feeding and Management of Dairy
Cows

THE fifth lecture of the late course at
Amherst was upon the above subject.
We take the following abstract of it from
the New England Homestead: ssz
No branch of dairy farming can COM
pare in Importance with the feeding and
management of cows. The highest sue
cess will depend upon it, whatever breed
be selected, and whatever amount of care
and attention be given to the points of
the animal; for experience will show that
very little milk comes out of the bag that
is not put into the throat
GAS a general thing, we keep too much
stock for the quantity Of good and nutri-
tious food we have for it, and the conse-
quence is, cows are, in nine cases out OF
ten, poorly wintered, and come out in the
spring weakened, if not positively dis
eased, and a long time is required to
bring them ints a condition to yield a
generous quantity of milk; but if they
are well fed, well housed, and well sup
piled with pure, fresn water, and with
roots, or other moist food, and properly
treated to the luxuries of frequent card
ing and constant kindness, they come out
ready to- commence the manufacture of
milk, well and under favorable circum-
stances.
"In order to keep COWS in milk well and
economically, regularity is next in impor-
lance to full supply of wholesome and
nutritious food. The healthy animal
stomach is very nice chronometer, and
it is of the utmost importance to observe
regular hours in feeding, watering and
milking. This is point in which very
many farmers are at fault-feeding when
ever it happens to be convenient The
cattle are thus kept in a restless condition,
constantly expecting food when the keep
er enters the barn; while, if regular hours
are strictly adhered to, they know exactly
when they are to be fed, and rest quietly
till the hour arrives. dfrQ r
The less COWS are exposed to the cold
of winter, the better. They eat less, thrive
better, and give more milk when kept
housed all the time, than when exposed to
the cold. This, however, will be governed
| much by the weather: for in very mild,
warm days, it may be judidous not only
to let them out, but to allow them to re-
main out for short time to exercise.
Gin summer the most natural, and OF
course the healthiest, food for mich cows
is the green grass of the pastures; but
when these fail, from drought, or over
stocking, q complement Of nourishment
may be made up with green clover, green
oats, barley, millet, or corn fodder, and
cabbage leaves, or other succulent vegeta-
bles.
/ In autumn, the best food will be the
grasses Of the pastures as far as they are
available, together with. corn-fodder, cab
bage, carrot and turnip leaves, and an adj
dition of meal or shorts @
SIN winter the best food for COWS in
milk, will be good sweet hay, part of
which should be cut and moistened with
water, as all inferior hay should be, with
an addition of roots, such as turnips, car.
rots, parsnips, potatoes, mangold wurzel,
with shorts, oil-cake, Indian meal or bran
meal. 4
"In spring, the best feeding for dairy
COWS will be much the same as in winter
the roots in store furnishing very valu-
able aid in increasing the quantity and i'm
proving the quality of the milk
The object with many farmers seems to
be, to see with aow little food they car
keep the cow alive. Now it appears TO
me that the mich COW should be regarded
as On object Of transformation. The con-
duct Of q flanufsc tgrer who owned good
skSs7ez sSs - 20 y y 80" = -