The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-04-18
Feeding a Family Cow.

The question is by no means so sim
pie as may at first sight appear. The
question, in fact, might well serve as a
text for treatise on the whole theory
and practice of feeding dairy stock.
But this is hardly what NJ desires in
this place. | have fed family cow, !"
and have fed as many as fifty cows,
and have learned that ration for the
best results in milk is necessarily an ex-
pensive one 1t requires large per
centage Of albuminoids, and albumin
ODDS, either in the food of man or
beast are expensive in their original
state. But in preparing many of the
foods Of man, there are by-products or
residues, of highly alhuminoid nature,
admirably adapted to the requirements
of herbivorous animals. Such are the
hulls of the various grains, under vari-
Gus names-malt, sprouts, brewers
grains, cotton-seed. f1ax-seed, and many
other seeds after the oil has been ex-
tEacted.
All these, in some sense waste prod
ucts, are within the reach of stock feed
ers at prices which make it possible to
use them with some degree of profit.
Now the feeder will find that these by
products vary considerably in price in
different parts of the country, and in Sc
Letting his feed he must choose those
substances which yield the largest per-
centage of digestible albuminoids for
the least money. In the Eastern States,
selecting the period of lowest market,
we find nothing cheaper nothing more
economical--th first quality St
Louis bran. 1t should have a thick,
heavy hull, with film of flour adher-
inu to the inner surface. 1t seldom ex-
ceeds one cent poand. It is always
safe to feed in any quantity.
Next in economy comes cotton-seed
meal. But this feeds generally regarded
with some prejudice, and am inclined
to think justly. It is very stimulating to
the milk glands, and, unless fed with
prudence, produces inflammation of
the milk ducts and udder. Three
pounds day. may be fed, however, to
a cow weighing a thousand pounds,
without much risk. A good substitute
for cotton-seed meal, though more ex-
pensive, is linseed meal Gold process).
This is always safe and most salts
factory food.
A proper milk ration should contain,
in addition to highly albuminoid food,
a certain proportion of easily digested
hydrocarbons, or starchy foods. The
long fodder usually fed to COWS con-
tains these elements in abundance, but
in a form less available, that is, digest
ible, than in most ground grains. So,
for quick returns" it is always well
to supplement the hydro carbons in
hay, straw, corn-stalks, etc., by GER
tain amount of corn meal. No other
grain, on the whole, better serves the
purpose, on the ground of economy,
than fine corn meal.
For my dairy of thoroughbreds have
settled down upon the following MKT
ure for a grain ration: For cows in full
flow of milk find theoretical excess
of albuminoids to. give economical re-
turns. The proportions given are, by
weight, six parts best bran, three parts
fine corn meal, and three parts linseed
meal. One pound of this mixture is
given to each hundred-weight of the
animal; half in the morning and the
other half IN the evening. Ii fed dry,
the COW drinks more, and consequently
gives more milk. IF | were not skept-
ical rs to the use of cottonseed meal, /
should substitute it for linseed meal.
1t costs less and produces more milk.
If were feeding a ssfamily COW y
regardless of expense, and for quality
as well as quantity Of milk, / pvczlld
grind corn in the ear, and add an equal
bulk of ground oats. A ration would
be four quarts night and morning, with
quart of hnseed meal in addition.
For long fodder would feed oat hay;
that is, oats cut when just out of bios
som and quickly cured. No forage
crop have ever raised gives such re-
suits in milk. can assure M. that it
does pay to cut cornstalks. Cut them
two inches long, and sprinkle moder-
ately with salt water, twenty-four hours
before feeding. Give no more salt than
is required for health Cor. Cou7trv
Gentleman.
The New York Commercial .AdUer-
tiser remarks that = it is again fashion
able for ladies to comb their hair back
from their foreheads and show they
have brains"