Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-10-24
Cows Chewing Bones.

Why do cows chew bones? Why d.
not all COWS chew themp Probably there
are farmers who honestly believe tina
If they can find them, all cows will do SO
but this is II mistake, and little observa
ZION would show it as such Sucking
calves rarely chew anything until they
are old enough to eat hay or ether sole
food A weanei calf is apt to chew
almost anything it can get hold of
Chewing bones, tapping barn boards
eating old alher, whips, boots, wnoler
cothing, and the manure from grain fec
horses, are all indications that the COWS
want something that they do rot find in
their regular food. or else, that they have
lost their appetite, and have constant
craving, or an abnormal condi ion of the
digestive organs. A pei fecly healthy
low will be fully satisfied with heal hfu
70 d, such rs grass or hay, just rs a young
healthy calf will be perfectly satisfied
| with its mothers milk taken in natures
way.
Forty years ago. the cows kept on Pine
Hedge farm would gnaw bones when they
could get them. just rs do other cows on
some of the adjoining farms at the presen
time. The best COWS, those giving the
M st milk, were the most persistent bone
CHI, wers, while the oxen and Dung ste OK
and the farrow COWS. or those giving lllllt
milk, rarely noticed bone when they had
"A chance. We never heard of an OK
acquiring the habit of chewing bones anu
much doubt if one ever did.
Did anybody ever think how NJ lch bpao
material there is contained in the annua
product of Il good dairy COW? How MANY
calf frames would that milk build up?
And who OF US has rcckoned up how
many pounds of bone material have been
taken from our COW pastures that hav,
D. Ell fed close every summer for fifty or II
undrei years? Why j. 1t that aim ost ali
farmers are agreed that bone phospn tie is
better suited to the needs of their land
han any other form of commrr"'ai
manure? Why is it that crops respond /"
zone phosphate more readily thin t.
!, most any her kind Of ferlilz l ?
simply be' ause, under our 81 EN- %
,elllng animals and milk. we have ben
I-plelng our sois of he bone en- mt.
rhe COWS that chew bones most ~,
generally those which have been KEEP il
,nnnur, d for long term OF yc"rs, and II,
W ich tho anlmas are compelled TO 2e'
their entire living for veral month>
iuriug tho summer season.
Farmers " no have new pas ures, those
winch produce red or white clover houhtl
lulIy, or who feed dauy, liberal ratlon- o.
grain to their cows, are rarely tronbed nN
navlng them acquire thus Disagree die
rIablt. Wheat bran, on account of III
arge content of bone material, makes al
ycellent food for COWS in thus condition
md il gen. rouslv and continuously ted H.
LIBERAL quantities. will, we believe, cure
my COW of The habit, 1t she Is not Other
wise diseased We could point 10 Two
pastures lying on opposite banks OF
small stream, on one of which the feed i,
u ways good, while on The other it is
poor. The difference On III,
feed is caused solely by the dItlri, nee III
The character of the soil. One is II him,
sandy gravel, which produces only The
poorest kind of vegetation, while lbe uthei
IS deep, fine loan. where white clover
and June grass both thrive in perfection.
in one of these pastures cows may run a"
summer long, and never notice a boz IN
their path. while in the other bone
would be among the first things 10 he
picked up. We Ave seen cows stand and
chew bune for hours ut u time-crrtam
ly most unsatisfactory occupation OF
their time.
After we commenced feeding bran and
other grain freely to our cows in summer,
while at pasture, their habit OF chewing
bones was entirely cured. But one sun
mpr, when bran was dearer in market
than corn meal, the bran was withheld for
n few weeks. aid corn meal gwen IN It's
stead. Now, corn meal is IL rich food, bul
it does not contain nearly SO large II pro-
portion of bone material RS good wheat
b,a an. After feeding it a few weeks, The
best COW in the he,., was one day observed
chewing bone, and aftef a while all the
cows In the herd bryan to chew bones when
they could find them, the poorest COWS
getting the taste for them last. We sooh
found that wheat bran, even ut the higher
price, was the cheaper food for our COWS,
and commenced feeding it again, when
the trouble ceased. Since that time. wheat
bran has been fed daily TO every animal
in milk, and not one has been known to
chew bones. We should have had no hest,
lalion at any time during the past ten
years, in Offering TO give away any COW in
our herd that we could find chewing IA
bone, or that could be induced to chew
one that might be placed before her.
Bone meal is often recommended for
curing cows OF bone sickness, and we
should have no objection whatever to feed
ing it, if hey would eat it, as they some
times will, but we should prefer giving
them their bone material in IA more nntu
raj lorm in their food. Raw bone can not
be as readily digested in the stomach OF "A
COW as good clover hay, and The bran OF
wheat. which contains the bone, but in Il
mere available form.
We nave written the above, because We
have recently seen a letter in one OF ou!
exchanges, from correspondent of high
repule. who seems 10 believe that al cows
will chew bones when they Can get them.
He is undoubtedly sincere in his belief AS
we are in outs Possibly wider OhsPr
WALTON wuud modify one opinion or the
other We would esteem 1t favor ii
r,m'ers OF the Purmer who have h;''
experience, or have observed the habit
OF cows in TINS regard, would send US he.
Results ot their experience or observation