The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-10-22
Gh& 8armer.
Feeding Dairy Cows.

A New Jersey correspondent OF the
Country Gentleman says:-The dry wealth
erhas seriously injured the pastures, and the
feed has become very scarce. There is, be-
sides, no hope of any change for the better
in this respect and dairymen who wish to
keep their COWS from failing in their pro-
duct must feed some extra food. The
season has been so unusually dry that even
fodder crops are short, and this dependence
has failed in many cases. But it will be
unwise, on that account, to neglect every
opportunity of keeping cows up in the pro
duct, and some other supply must be sought
for. Fortunately we have in the various
concentrated foods within our reach abund-
ance of resources which can be made
available. Bran and the various mill stutts
offer the best and cheapest substitutes for
the ordinary folders. These can be pur-
chased cheaply and everywhere. Hay IS
plentiful, and the supply may be made to
help out the dry pasture. A light ration
of hay, with few cornstalks, cut togeth-
er and well moistened, and mixed with tn
or three pounds of bran and pound or two
of corn meal, will be sufficient not only to
keep up the flow Of milk, but to increase 1t,
and add considerably to the yield of butter.
The advancing prices of butter will pay
for the extra cost of the feed, and good
preft will be realized from the increased
product.
The majority Of dairymen will not take
the trouble to do this, and therefore those
who do win reap certain benefit. A feed
given night and morning will be better than
only one in the day. If only one feed is
given daily, it should be at noon, when the
cows may be brought in for the purpose,
and kept up for two or three hours. The
supply of water, too, should not be lost
sight Of This is perhaps even more i'm
portant than the extra feed, because search
ty of water or poor water affects the health
and seriously damages the COW. II well
water is used, it should be pumped into
the trough some hours before it is given to
the COW, so that it may become warmed.
Cold well water will surely decrease the
milk and lessen the cream, and cows will
not take it in sufficient quantity. II this Is
doubted, trial may be made oftwo troughs
of water-one warmed by several hours
exposure TO the sun, and the other fresh
from the well. 1t will soon be seen which
the cows prefer, and how much more OF
the warmed water they will drink.
The benefits to be derived from the ex-
ira feed and the care in watering, viii be
perceived not only in the present increase
Of product, but in the continued holding
out of it. For if cows are permitted to
run down now, they cannot be brought up
again by aud by, when their milk organs
have settled down to a permanently small
product; SO that .his present improvement
involves a heightened period of milking,
as well as a larger product, and in this re-
spect the advantage gained is much larger
than might appear at first sight.
Cows newly calving at this season, or
expected to calve in two or three months,
viii thrive better for small ration Of ex-
ira food. If given not toe abuadantiy, 1t
may be continued nearly up to the time of
ealYing, and discontinued two or three
weeks previous to chat event. The better
condition Of the animals will be felt all
through the productive season, and the food
and care will be abundantly repaid.