Huntsville gazette., 1884-08-23
Feeding Cows.

A cow ought to give six thousand
pounds of milk per annum. Mr.. Stew
art says that if COW weighs nine hun
.lred pounds, that amount of milk
would be nearly seven times more than
her own weight, and the cow actually
produces as food through her milk twice
rs much as the beef animal of the same
weight gains in flesh during the same
time. Now the composition of six
thousand pounds of milk, according to
foreign authority, would be as follows:
Casein and albument, two hundred and
forty-three pounds; fat or butter, two
hundred and twenty y-eight pounds; milk
sugar, two hundred and seventy eight
pounds; salts or ash, thirty-nine pounds,
or dry matter nearly equal in weight
10 that of the COW. The important
point to be observed in this is that such
IA large production necessitates very
large supply of food. We all know
what large consumer of food COW is.
But it would seem to be expected by
some that she can live and produce Oh
comparatively nothing. On the contrary
she must first be supplied with nutri-
ment. Her milk and its products are
simply the conversion of the surplus
food that she does not need to supply the
waste of the system into these products.
We have often urged good care and kind
treatment of the cow, because if she is
not thus cared for and treated she
must have additional food to repair
the unnecessary waste. If she is ex-
posed in winter, it will take more food
TO keep up the warmth; if she is an
noyed, her excited nervous system will
cause additional wear, just as rapid
running machine wears out faster than
mo that runs slow. Nervous excite
ment means that the animal system is
ON strain-that it is wearing away
more rapidly than it need to. Under
such circumstance, thcrefc1a. food that
might 90 to make milk, is VGlfzed to re-
nair this useless waste. 1t le great deal
of fun for dog to worry p cow, and it is
sometimes the. case thai The owner seems
quite willing that the dog should enjoy
himself in this way. But we do not
propose to furnish such costly enjoy
ment to dogs. We should take club.
If the canine persisted in that sort of
sport, and have little fun at his ex-
pcnse. Every bark of q dog at the
heels of a COW. means handful of
food wasted, and the economical,
thoughtful farmer will conclude that he
has no food to throw away for any
such purpose.
We must. therefore, take good. kind
care of the COW and feed her well, and
npon variety of food. Milk, as we all
know, is composed of all the elements
that are found in the human body. The
food, therefore, must contain all these
elements. 1t is no doubt familiar fact
to the reader, that milk produced from
several varieties of green fodder will be
better than if produced from one, be-
cause they differ in their composition.
Green corn is an excellent fodder for
dairy cattle, as far as it goes. But it is
not tit for an exclusive ration. 1t has
not sufficient quantity of the albu-
minoids, fact which we recommended
for the consideration of those who are
determined to believe that about all a
cow needs in winter is ensilaged corn
fodder. Feed with green corn, clover,
oats, peas, millet, linseed meal, bran
Or middlings, and we shall get the re-
suits which we desire. - Western Rural