The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-11-01
Farm, House and Garden
Feeding Cows with Grain.

When our farmers learn to look upon
cow as piece Of wonderful and deli
cate mechanism for the production of
milk, and when they can realize that the
product Of any improved machine de-
pends upon the quality of the raw mate
rial furnished for manufacture, then we
may expect a revolution in the matter of
feeding dairy COWS. A manufacturer of
first-class woolen fabrics cannot feed his
looms with shoddy. A manufacturer of
extra family flour cannot fill his hoppers
with sprouted wheat; neither can a
manufacturer of prime milk, butter and
cheese obtain the best results by feeding
his COWS with hay and grass alone. The
experience Of many intelligent dairymen
goes to prove that the additional profit
resulting from the feeding of COWS with
reasonable allowance Of grain far ex-
ceeds the whole profit of feeding from
grass and hay alone, while other impor-
tant clements in the reckoning are in
creased value of manure, and the dimin-
ished quantity Of hay required. The
average yield of all the cows in Massa-
chusetts (and this is higher in quantity
than the yield throughout the United
states) is but four quarts, showing Of
course that there are many COWS that give
even less quantity. Now we have in
mind herd of twenty grade cows that
gave 33,562 pounds Of milk during the
year 1878, averaging a daily yield to
each cow of $50 quarts; 145, ,296 pounds
in the year 1874, averaging each day
per COW 9.16 quarts; 141,976 pounds IN
1875, averaging 9,05 quarts, while in
1876 they gave 133, ,306 pounds, yielding
daily average to each COW of $50
quarts. To produce this remarkable
yield the COWS were fed for ten months
in the year with daily allowance to
each Of one peck Of bran and two quarts
of cob meal, costing for the year $494.
Note the result: twenty ordinary COWS
fed in the usual way, according to Mas
sachusetts average, giving four quarts
per day, and calling the average value
of the milk to the farmer two and half
cents per quart, would yield a gross re-
turn Of $3.50, or $36.50 to each COW while
on the other hand our more intelligent
manufacturer, by the use of better cows,
and $494 worth Of grain food (without
estimating his gain in manure and saw
ing in hay), gets from his twenty cows,
at eight and one-half quarts per day,
and at two and half cents per quart, a
gross result of about 81 $50, or $77.5o to
each cow; or deducting the cost of the
grain food, $494, from the total yield of
1850, we have 81 ,056 as the gross pro-
duct of the milk of twenty COWS, as
against $720 product from the COWS
fed without grain, or clean profit of
1886, on an investment of $494 in grain,
with the original outlay returned. Nor
is this all. If the product of these
twenty granted COWS was converted into
butter instead of being sold as milk, it
would yield twenty per cent, more cream
or butter than the milk from the poorly
fed animal, and command at least ten
per cent. higher price on account Of its
superior flavor, color and grain. Results
as compared with the average return
would be 5,310 pounds of butter at thir-
ty cents per pound, equal to $1,593, as
against 2,400 pounds at twenty-five
cents, equal to $500, or showing differ
ence in favor Of the COWS that consumed
$494 worth eff grain, Of 1898 in the sale of
butter. Since it may be claimed by
many farmers that their COWS are far bet-
ter than the average, and hence the
above comparison is more striking than
would appear in their case, we have only
to advise such to make the experiment
of carefully feeding grain to one COW,
and test the difference in the quantity
and quality of her milk with the average
of the herd, and if result Of only one
quarter the gain claimed in our illus
tration is obtained, that Of itself would
increase the present average income of
the dairy fully seventy-fve per cent
This important matter Of feeding grain
is worthy the careful investigation of
every dairyman.-Americo'a Cultiuator.