St. Landry democrat., 1880-04-03
SPRING CARE OF DAIRY COWS.

Dai"ymen are looking for quick re
turns, and many OF them are not willing
to wait for the results OF good feeding
They are doubtful about trusting Tho
cow for two or three months for extra
winter feed, fearing it will not be re
funded. They are too often unwilling
to give a liberal ration even for the
month before calving. As the COW is
not giving milk, they think it sufficient
to feed enough to keep her from losing
flesh rapidly If they quite understood
the fationale Of milk production they
would have the greatest confidence in
the COW as a savings bank for surplus
food A good cow can always be trusted
to repay with liberal interest all the
extra food she can digest during the
time she goes dry. Such a COW is usl!-
ally thin after a season of milking, and
unless she is fed SO literally as to recover
her tleshy condition, she will not give
her full quantity of milk. Every dairy
man:is familiar with the fact that good
COW. coming in in full flesh, will milk
down thin unless literally fed during the
milking season. They ought to see from
this shat the extra flesh is laid up in win
ter TO be Withdrawn during the sum
mer. Every pound Of extra flesh
represents about one gallon of milk, to
be drawn during summer. If two cows
of equal milking quality are taken, the
one poor and the other in good flesh on
coming in milk, and both placed in a
good pasture, the one in good condition
will be likely to yield a gallon of milk
in excess of the other, during the sea-
son.. for every pound of extra flesh she
possesses over the other. If dairymen
would make such accurate observations
upon the effect of condition upon milch
cows-as they have every opportunity
to do-they would require no argument
to induce them to feed their dry cows
most liberally. The dairyman who has
not fed his cows as well as his interest
required during the early part Of the
winter, should do what be can to re-
cover his lost ground, by feeding judi
ciously during the few weeks left. 1t
being so near calving time, he should be
cautious about giving food of too heat
ing a nature. Corn-meal alone should
not be given, if that can be avoided;
and, if nothing else is at hand, it
should be fed upon cut hay, so as
to have it thoroughly mixed with
iibrous food before entering the stom-
ach. Corn and eats, ground together
one bushel of corn to two Of oats
ma es one of the best foods for dry
COWS. The food most needed by the
cow at this season is such as will build
up her muscular system, and re-inyig-
orabe her vitality. The food should be
rich in phosphate Of lime; for she is
often depleted of this during the milk
ng: period, SO as to render her bones
spongy; and the diseases that afflict
COWS in spring are usually occasioned
BY the poverty of the food given through
me winter. Cows that are fed upon
coed clover hay during winter, usually
'ecover their vigor, because clover is
'ica in muscle forming matter and phos-
ohate of lime. Oats, peas, wheat bran,
md oil-meal are all rich in phosphate
If lime, and are excellent to give the
'ow renewed vitality during her nom
ac@eal period. Care must be taken to
i've oil-meal in very small quantity at
lily PSAioaAS 40 VIC bltlC W Cdif Ing dp-
'rdaches and especially If it has not
'een given through the winter; yet one
int per day through the whole period
+ going dry will assist very materially /
n keeping the cow in health; and it |
ften prevents the evil effect Of dry, in
nutritious fodder. When given through
ne! winter. we have never known i'm
action of the manifolds. Oats and
ran, mixed together, will be excellent
pod at this period; and if this food
J continued after calving, it will
clip to establish good yield Of
mix. During the first week after
alFing the diet should be spare-not so
ecessary if the cow is thin-but if
eshy, she should be kept on hay, ex-
ept quart of oil-meal, which is laxa-
i've and cooling. After all danger from
mix fever is past, the feeding should be
most liberal, so as to start the cow on a
arge flow of milk. After ten days from
afsing no better extra food can be
i,nr L.