Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-07-29
T Sailing Dairy Cows.

!, THE importance of salt for dairy cows
Is generally understood, but nevertheless
it is much neglected And where quan-
tity sufficient for certain number of
cows is-supplied, it frequently. happens
that from the manner in which II is fed,
some animals get more than they require,
while others obtain little or none at all
A late number Of the Rural .NeSo Yorker
has the following article on this topic: .
+, The way TO salt dairy cows is to have
the salt conveniently located for stock
whore daily access may bo had to 1t, and
the animals allowed to take whatever
their appetites crave. 1t may be placed
in boxes arranged along in the feed alley
of the stable, or in the troughs In 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
oftit, 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
tervals ia moro or less injurious, since
they arc liable to over feed Of it, causing
excessive securing and arrangement OF
| health. This is particularly the case
when salt is thrown out Unfortunately
in 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
a due supply, ard thus one part of the
herd is ininred by overeating and. the
other part from not obtaining what is
needed. When the animals have free ac
cess to salt, nature dictates as to its use
and hence the results, both as to health
| onJ bo k.se1H ~ illr fplinuy
Salt is very necessary for mich cows
Without it the milk becomes scanty ant
imperfect. II is an important element IL
the blood, and furnishes the soda neces
sary to hold the cheesy part of the mill
in solution. Haidlen found in his analysis
LOCO pounds contained nearly half ;
4 pound Of chloride of sodium. There wal
also one and three.quarters pounds o
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 it.
Perhaps the great necessity for its use
is in spring, when cows are first turned t,
grass. The feed then is rather deflcien
in saline matter, and does not furnisl
sufficient for large quantity of milk. A.
the grass becomes more mature, the mia
eral elements are more abundant, anC
there is less desire en- 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 ha
been found that in May and June, whel
milch COWS have been deprived of salt TO
several days, the milk shrunk from on
to two per cent. in quantity, and from
four TO six per cent. in quality. Later il
the season the experiments showed les
difference.
Thus it will be seen that dairy stock, t
produce the best results, should have
daily supply Of salt, and the quantity
much better regulated by the animal thai
1t can be by the stock keeper who doles
out at intervals,