The Portland daily press., 1877-01-08
Feeding for Milk.

Prof Dole of Norwich University, VT,
gave the result of an experiment in feeding
milk cows, to the Vermont Chronicle, 90.
ing to prove the special value of corn meal
and bran in the production Of milk.
1 had three COWS, which I was feeding for
the double purpose of getting milk, and at
the same time fattening the animals for
beef They were all farrow, one of them
had been so for two years. They belonged
to the common breed, and were what are
called good mixers. At the time | began
feeding they did not give enough to pay for
the hay they ate. My object in experiment
ing was to find out as near as possible, the
most profitable feed. I continued the trial
for four weeks, with the following results
The feed the first week was 8 lbs. of
"shorts,,' half bushel of sugar beets, and
10 lbs. of hay per day to each COW. I feed
the shorts night and morning, bis. at
time. The beets were given at noon. They
were fed all the hay they would eat up clean,
three times day. Thus. the first week
fed the three cows 210 lbs. of hay,168 lbs. of
shorts, and 101 bushels OF beets. The hay
was of poor quality. l estimate the cost as
follows 1853 lbs. of shorts at $25 per ton,
g. 10; 21O lbs. of hay at $12 per ton, $1,26;
104 bushels of beets at Is cts, per bushe,
$1,57. Total, $4.63. We got $40 lbs. of
milk, making 16s lbs, of butter, taking %
lbs. of milk to make l lb. of butter. The
butter was of the best quality, and at 80 cts,
a lb. would bring 81 95. There was in ad-
dition the skin milk, and a steady gain OF
the COWS in flesh.
In the second week the feed was the same
as the first, with this eXception-instead of
feeding 8 lbs. of shorts, gave them s lbs. of
feed, composed half each of corn meal and
shorts. This week 1 got 364 lbs. of milk
and 81 lbs. of butter, or lb. for little over
21 lbs of milk, The cost of tho feed this
week, calling corn as 1 did 50 per hundred,
was $5.65. The butter was worth, at 30c. a
lb., S. 55.
The third week the feed was the same as
the first, with the exception of feeding bran
instead of shorts. Amount of milk this
week, $50 lbs., both butter and milk the
same as first week.
Fourth week same as second, only use
bran instead of shorts. Milk this week 4SO
lbs. butter 10 lbs. Cost of feed same as
second week, $5.65: butter worth $5,7O.
have not tried corn meal alone as a grain
feed, but from former experience am con-
vinced that it is not as valuable for milk as
either bran alone or bran and corn meal
mixed in equal parts.
my observations since, that no better feed
can be given COWS than corn meal and bran
mixed The COWS have not only more than
paid their keeping in milk, but have steadily
gained in flesh, and are now fair beef Had
only fed common hay, such as l had, they
would not have paid their keeping. Perhaps
1 should state that all the feed was scalded,
and cold water added, making a pailfull at
time per cow. The butter made was very
nice, far better than it would have been with
only hay for fodder. / am satisfied that bran
is fully equal to shorts in value, and to mix
with corn it is better. With bran at $25 ner
ton, and corn at $40, ! would use as much
corn as bran, and feed them mixed. have
said little about the root feed, my object being
to determine the best kind of grain or feed to
bny. But so well satisfied am l with the
result of feeding roots that l would not on
any account be without them. Every farmer
would find it to his advantage to raise from Is
to 100 bushels per year for every COW.