Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-16

MILK PRoDUcING FooD.-A cores
pondent Of the Germantown Telegraph,
who has made some careful experiments
with various articles of food to mich cows,
gives the result as follows:
In carefully tried experiment which
made last winter, found that heavy feed,
such as corn, wheat and rye shorts, fed to
twelve COWS, pound for pound, did not
make as much milk as wheat bran, into
nine quarts day. and l have no doubt
that for time this would invariably be
the result yet I should not dare to con-
tinue for any considerable length Of time
to feed my cows upon wheat bran alone,
as it would undoubtedly diminish the
strength of the cow, and soon reduce her
to a condition that she would be incapable
of giving very much milk. ] am now
feeding to twelve cows two bushels of
wheat bran mixed with one bushel of corn
meal ground in the cob, with very salts
factory results. The milk is good, the
strength of the animal is kept up and a
diminished amount of hay will keep the
COW in a good thriving condition. l feed
twice day.
1t is vet an open question whether the
feed should be fed dry or wet. There is
no doubt but that in cold weather it would
be much better if the water, which is re-
quired by cows in milk, could be warmed.
If taken into the system while at very
low temperature, the process of digestion
will be retarded until the temperature of
-, ,o,,oI 70 H1oo1 boot In
warming this water digestion is not only
retarded, but there will be loss of a
certain amount of food, which, like fuel,
is consumed in keeping up the heat OF the
body; and this accounts for the fact that a
herd of cattle require very much more
food in extremely cold weather than they
do in warm weather. 1t will be evident,
therefore, that large amount of food may
be saved by warm stabling in cold weather
and consequently much greater secre-
ton of milk secured.
| The great mass of the community are
no doubt ignorant in regard to the great
difference in the quality of milk made
by the different kinds of feed. Milk
made from COW fed upon turnips and
buckwheat bran or buckwheat shorts is
totally unfit for young child or It's
mother, and there is no doubt but that the
mortality among children is often caused
by improper food of which the milk Is
made. The physician knows the import
ance of having the milk from new mich
cow assigned for young child; the why
and wherefore, very likely he does not
know. He probably does not know that
the milk from farrow COW is one-third
heavier and one third richer in casein than
that from a new mich cow, and therefore
is it not as we'll adapted to the want OF
the child, nor does the mother understand
that the cause of the child's illness is
owing to some improper food eaten by the
COW. If was DESTROYS of making given
amount OF milk the best adapted to the
use of the greatest number of children, /
would feed the cows on equal parts Tin
pounds) of oats, wheat bran and Indian
corn, and the best of hay and apples.
Until we become accustomed to trying
experiments, we shall not know for GER
tainty the quantity and quality of food
that will, when fed to a lot of cows, pro-
dUce the greatest amount of really good
milk for given amount of feed, nor shall
we know whether the cutting of hay for
our mich cows in winter will pay for
the extra expense and labor of doing it.
Some of our milkmen who have tried cut
ting are of the opinion that it pays we'll
for the trouble, and some contemplate
steaming.
Roots, especially carrots, increase the
flow of milk and of the best quality, and
will tend to keep the cow in good health.
Apples will increase the quantity of milk
nearly as much as turnips, and of much
better quality.
In making milk there is nothing more
important than good early cut hay. With
out this it may be doubted whether milk
can be made with profit.