Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-04
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD
sailing Dairy Cows.

TEE importance Of salt for dairy COW.
is generally understood, but nevertheless:
il Is much neglected. And where quan
tity sufdcien. for certain number o,
cows Is supplied. it frequently happens
that from the manner In which 1t Is fed
some animals get more than they require,
while others obtain little or none at all
A late number Of the Ru7I Neao Yorker
has the following article on this topic:
! The way to salt dairy cows is to have
the salt conveniently located for stock
where daily access may be had TO 1t, and
the animSls allowed TO take whatever
their appetites crave. It may be placed
in boxes arranged along in the feed alley
Of the stable, or in the troughs Ia the
shed or yard. When cows have free ac-
cess TO salt, they soon regulate their ap-
petite to the daily use OF small quantities
of 1t, taking no more than is required to
promote good health.
Animals require more or less salt, &C.
cording to the character of their food,
and the practice OF sailing at certain in
teryals is more or less injurious, since
they are liable to overt feed of it, causing
excessive securing and arrangement of
health. This is particularly the case
when salt is thrown out indiscriminately
Ia the field at intervals of week or
more. In such cases, the stronger cows
not unfrequently gorge themselves, pre-
venting the weaker animals from getting
due supply, and thus one part of the
herd is injured by o7er-eating and the
Other part from not obtaining what Is
needed. When the animals have free &C.
GEES to salt, nature dictates as TO its use,
and hence the results, both as to health
and the yield Of milk follow.
Salt is very necessary for mich cows.
Without it the milk becomes scanty and
imperfect. 1t is an important element N
the blood, and furnishes the soda neces-
sary to hold the cheesy part of the milk
in solution. Eaidlen found In his analysis
600 pounds contained nearly half a
pound of chloride Of sodium. There was
also one and three-quarters pounds OF
chloride of potassium. There are various
purposes in the animal economy that re
quire salt, and cows in milk should at al
times have free access to ii.
Perhaps the great necessity for its use
is in spring, when cows are first turned TO
grass. The feed then is rather deficient
in saline matter, and does not furnish
sufficient for large quantity Of milk. AS
the grass becomes more mature, the min
eral elements are more abundant, and
there is less desire On the part Of animals
for salt 1t is on this account, and be-
cause cows have been dried of their milk,
that in winter much less salt Is required
In the dairy than in summer. From ex-
periments that have been made, it has
been found that in May and June, when
mich COWS have been deprived of salt for
several days, the milk shrunk from one
to two per cent. in quantity, and from
four to six per cent in quality. Later in
the season the experiments showed less
difference.
Thus it will be seen that dairy stock, to
produce the best results, should have q
daily supply of salt, and the quantity ia
much better regulated by the animal than
it can be by the stock keeper who doles it
Out'at intervals.