The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-06-16
Feed for Dairy Cows

At the last meeting of the
Northwestern 0ai-ymens' Associ-
alton, I. Boies, of Marengo, Illi-
nois, said:
Tame grass, corn meal, oat meal,
will do very we'll for summer food
for COWS. For winter food, in adj
dition to the meal, feed clover and
timothy; the more clover the bet
ter. Hungarian hay or oats, cut
just as they pass into the doughy
state, are excellent for milk and
butter. Corn, cut when the kerr
nels are in the dough, is number
one, provided it is well cured and
well saved. Clover should be cut
when about two-thirds are in bios
som. 1t should be cut in the fore
noon, wilted, put in small bunch
es of about rs or 100 pounds;
then let it stand until cured. By
SO doing you save all the leaves
and the flavor. Timothy should
be cut when in the first blossom.
There is more hay spoiled by dry
ing too much than not enough.
AS things which a cow should
not eat, l name ragweed, leeks,
turnips, turnip tops, buckwheat
bran, cabbage, rye bran, shorts or
middlings OF any kind. Any of
the above tend to produce a bad
flavor in the milk, cream and but
ter. This is the only safe way, in
my opinion, to feed rye, and then
1 consider it far inferior to corn,
oats and fax, or oil meal,
Now I have ted you the kind Of
feed 1 like, and the kind I don't
like. The next question now is
how much to feed. 1 will give
only the results of my own expe-
rience and close observation.
First, I consider it of great i'm
portance to have a cow in a thriv-
ing condition when she comes in.
would feed say one quart Of corn
meal and two quarts of wheat
bran, and quart of oil meal each
day, for at least four weeks previ-
GUS to dropping the calf. I would
not increase this quantity for two
weeks after calving. Give a tea
spoonful of salt every time you
feed meal.
After the cow gets fairly to her
milk, increase her feed until you
reach ten pounds corn and oat
meal, or corn meal and wheat bran,
two pounds corn meal to one
pound bran, and two pounds oil
meal per day, with all the good,
early cut hay and corn stalks she
can eat. Do not be afraid if a
Few ears of corn are left with the
stalks. They will not hurt the
cow. Hungarian hay or oats cut
as hay, is excellent food for a
change. Cows are fond of a vari-
ETY.. This is our mode of winter
feeding.
In the summer we feed the same
amount of meal as in winter,
whether the grass is flush or short,
up to within two weeks of the
time for drying off. Then we
drop off thel meal, and would not
commence feeding it again until
about four weeks before calving.
Experience and observation
have taught US that this is our
best way to treat a cow for profit.
This treatment has produced the
following results in our dairy. On
October 1st we had thirtY-seven
new mich cows and thirteen that
had been in mich from nine to
twelve months. On November
LIST we had fifty-seven new mich
COWS; December 1st, II; Dec. oath,
81; and thirteen farrow COWS.
This days milk of the 100 COWS
made 121 pounds of butter. AS
nearly as can figure, our dairy
averaged during this time SO to 80
cows. They gave US in 123 days,
289, $3.50 pounds Of milk, an aver
age Of 26 pounds per day for each
cow, during the entire time.
There are dairymen in our town
who feed five pounds per day and
make an average of II to Is
pounds of milk per day; others
that feed six and seven pounds per
day and make an average of IA to
I5 pounds; others feed eight and
nine pounds and make an average
of Is to 20 pounds. None OF
these feed oil meal. One dairy
man, of whom we buy all the but
ter he makes, we persuaded to try
feeding one pint of oil meal day.
In extra cold weather it increased
his milk product 16 per cent. The
value of oil meal can scarcely be
stated too strongly. In our expe
rience one quart per day is enough
to feed.
In all my observation the man
who gives full feed with care, gets
the best pay for what he does feed.
/ am fully satisfied half feed does
not pay, and irregular feeding
does not pay. If you want your
COW to give good mess, and that
steadily, give her something to
make it of. If you economic and
cut down the cows rations she
will just as surely cut down your
supply of milk.
Mr.. Holloway, Of the Eagle chair
company, an extensive manufacturing