The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-01-11
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
Large VS.. Small Cows.

A discussion as to which of the above
are most profitable, has been going on
among number of agricultural writ
ers for some weeks. DIR. Hoskins
opened the discussion in the Watch
man and Journal, affirming that small
cows were most profitable, and taking
the ground that COWS on an average
consumed an amount of hay, equal to
three pounds per diem, for each hun
dred pounds the cows weigh. While
we think the estimate too high, we have
no doubt of the correctness of the doc
cows. OF course the doctor has brought
out some advocates of the contrary the
ory, among others, our friend, G. Hor-
ace Hubbard, Esq. editor of the YER
mont Farmer, who, being a breeder of
Short-Horns, thinks it very questiona-
BILE, whether 1t is safe to calculate that
large cows will consume an amount in
excess of what smaller cows will con-
sumo, equal to their greater weight
This is the ground almost universally
taken by breeders of Short Horns and
advocates of large cattle. We are well
acquainted with farmers in this coun-
ty. whose cows weigh at least three
hundred pounds each less than the
cows in some other diaries, that return
their owners more butter than the lar
ger ones. Now in estimating the
profits of the two, we never hear the
keepers of the large cows taking into
consideration the fact, for 1t is fact,
that it takes more to keep the large
COW than the smaller one, but always
make much of the greater worth of
the large COW for beef after she is too
old FOR dairy cow. 1t would be well
for such farmers to look this matter
over more carefully. and see where the
expense and the profit really is in these
cases. There are exceptions TO all
rules, and without doubt there are
large cows that eat no more than some
small ones, but as rule, whoever tests |
the matter carefully, Will find that
cows, as we'll as other farm animals,
require food in proportion to their
bulk. This our own personal expert
ence in feeding large and small cows to-
gether, enables us TO affirm, and from |
our experience, we should gi"e th' |
amount at about two ana three-lourti
pounds per day of good bay for
100 lbs. of COW, except when
flow of milk, when they Wi c9s-".
more. or an equivalent in some ItNorl
feed. This will give about foriy-fve
hundred ipounds for wintering COW
weighing q thousand pounds, an
amount much larger than the cows of
most dairymen consume.
five compare the consumption lin
the winter only for six months be-
tween COW of three hundred pounds |
greater weight and a smaller one, we
shall find the difference to be 1855 |
pounds, which at ten dollars per ton,
would be difference in cost of winter
ing of $7.422. Cows are usually kept |
and MIXED about ten years, and this
difference in that time would amount |
to $500 which Is costly outlay for
the two or three hundred pounds more
beef the larger animal would return
at Strengthening, than the smaller one.
Those who think larger cows most
profitable, claim that the larger milk
ers are greater eaters than those that |
are not large mixers, whether large or
small position that we think cor
rect, but we cannot see how this helps |
their side of the. argument, for our ex-
perience in feeding large and smaller
ones proves TO our satisfaction that if
small good mixers are large consum-
ers, large good mixers not only con-
sumo in like proportion TO their larg-
er size, bat are much harder to keep
in good order, are no; as hardy, and
will not do as well on shot pasture and
coarser feed as the smaller. We think
many farmers make great mistake
about this matter Of size, giving the
preference to large animals without a
thought of the larger cost. but appar-
emily proceeding upon the supposition
that the cost of raising both small and
large Is the same while careful exper.
iments, we fancy, Will prove.that meat |
raised on moderate sized, compact ami
mails will cost less per pound than that
raised on large, rangy ones. We have
considered this question from the
standpoint that large cows are as good |
mixers as smaller ones,a position that |
we think cannot be maintained, for we
believe as rule large cows, or large |
breeds are not as good mixers as
smaller ones.