Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-04-20
Experiments In Feeding Cows.


Unquestionably the most profitable con-
tribution to dairying made at the late dai.
rymen's meeting in St. Albans was the fol-
lowing paper. Some of our editorial breth-
rem who attended that meeting declared
they would not print it, because Mr.. Whit
ney chose to have it appear first in paper
printed outside of the state. But no such
feeling prevents our laying good thing be-
fore our readers, and for them it has the ad-
ditional advantage of having undergone the
revision of the author and correction at his
hands.
Themethods Of feeding dairy stock to the great
est profit are yet unsettled. Many dairymen pro-
fess to believe that an abundance OF good hay
with sufficient area of good pasturage, are all
1t is too true that Of our dairy stock do not
even get the good hay and pasturage, yet some
cows are even better fed, while others are fed to
their fullest capacity on grain, oicake and roots
In addition to liberal supplies OF hay and grass.
Only by careful experiment and record, with the
fullest discussion OF methods and comparison Of
results, can the best practice be determined.
Last spring decided to give few of my cows
a liberal feed Of grain and other fodder in addi-
tion to supply Of hay and grass, continuing the
same practice during twelve months, and care
fully noting the results. selected for the exper-
ment family OF cows consisting Of a mother,
daughter q granddaughter and a great-grand-
daughter The latter is heifer that calved the
second Of March, 1880; she was two years old last
June and weighed before coming in, 10 pounds.
Although In good condition at that time she did
not seem to do well.
For test commenced setting her milk March
IL, IL and 13 continued setting her milk the
same three days OF each subsequent month. In
the three days OF March she gave 40l pounds Of
milk, which made two pounds Of butter, or only
I of pound per day from u little over Is pounds
OF milk. With the same average the months rec
ord would show 20 pounds Of butter. In the
three days the heifer consumed 45 pounds Of hay,
10l pounds mixed feed and AZ pounds sour milk.
For the three like days in April this same hefer
gave 5Of pounds OF milk. yielding y pounds OF
butter, while her feed was increased TO "a pounds
OF grain, 90 pounds Of sour milk and As pounds
Of hay. The total butter yield for April was %
pounds In May during three days she gave 59t
pounds OF milk, making : pounds and ounces
OF butter, giving a record Of 81 pounds and IL
ounces for the month, her food being the same as
In April.
In June the heller was turned out to pasture
and also fed six pounds Of grain per day Dur
ing three days OF this month she gave 60 pounds
Of milk, making pounds ounces butter, or at
the rate OF 80 pounds ounces for the month.
For the same period in July the milk yield was
COY pounds, butter - pounds, equivalent to
monthly yield OF 80 pounds; August. three days
milk 55a pounds, butter 81 pounds, or a monthly
product OF JZt DOuuub OI Dutttr, september, OU
pounds milk, yielding pounds u ounces butter.
a monthly butter record OF 27A pounds In addi-
tion to her grain this month she was daily fed
about three pecks Of pumpkins For three days
in October the milk yield was 52 pounds, butter
pounds l2l ounces or for the month 27l pounds.
Feed same rs in September. November, 4Si
pounds milk, yielding pounds 13 ounces butter,
or for the month % pounds ounces. During
this month ceased feeding pumkins and raised the
grain ration to pounds per day. For December,
i6l pounds milk In three days. yielding three
pounds butter, or 30 pounds for the month. jan
uary showed in three days 30 pounds milk, pro-
ducing pounds 81 ounces Of butter, or, in the
same ratio for the month, "a pounds ounces Of
butter.
For the eleven months total butter yield is
shown Of 1876 pounds ounces. Adding another
will stand 800 pounds. This heifer will come in
again about the middle OF May. Her present
good beef.
Her years consumption OF food will figure for
about 26i6 pounds grain S2650, 2,700 pounds
hay $3.50, pumpkins potatoes. sour milk and
whey So, pasturing SO; total s55. On the credit
side In 800 pounds butter, which, with the in
crease in beef and fertilizer, will amount to $780,
| showing $40 profit on the year 3 keep.
The milk OF the main dairy from-April to No
| vember 10 was made into cheese During this
| period the heiter had pail OF whey daily, while
during the balance Of the year pail OF milk was
daily supply. The other cows tested, whose
record is given below, were similarly supplied
with this quantity OF whey and milk.
As a matter OF comparison, desire TO state that
| beside the heifer under consideration had four
others, all of whom came In last spring and all
| fully two years old. They each gave more milk
and yielded more butter at the start than the
| product Of the first mentioned heifer These
four heifers also fed literally with grain un-
| til pasturage season, when 1t was withheld. A
fair test Of the yearly butter product OF these four
| hefers gives an average OF one hundred and fifty
pounds each. At the first Of November, found
that It required the yield OF the four heifers com
| bined TO equal that OF the one heller which had
been grained through the summer.
Estimating the cost Of the keep Of each OF the
four heifers at II tons hay Sl5 pas.uring $40,
grain SO, the annual cost OF each Is $50. yield
Of 100 pounds butter with the fertilizer saved ia
worth Si3 showing $40 profit to each heifer rs
compared with II Si5 profit upon the granted
heifer.
These figures show conclusively the value and
Importance OF high feeding even through the
summer months. The four heifers were the equal
of the first mentioned animal In every respect,
save in pedigree, for milking qualities, believe
that the feeding each OF the four an extra ton OF
meal apiece would have given from ffty TO one
hundred per cent profit upon the investment
My next experiment was with the granddaugh-
ter. She calved March 81, 1880 she was then a
little less than five years old commenced the
test by setting her milk April D and ~ During
these three days her milk yield was lOst pounds,
producing pounds IL ounces OF butter, or fol
the month, i7A pounds Each day she consumed
20 pounds hay, 10 pounds meal lcorn'and bran
mixed) and pail OF sour milk.
For the three days test in May the COW gave