The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-02-14
FEEDING FOR MILK.


Least Expenditure OF Labor.
Doubtless every farmer keeps more
or fewer cows: but how many keep
them pro6tably? It is not cuff
cient that the farmers cows give
the milk and butter that their
families need, or even little more;
the farmer should cndeavor to feed In
O manner that the least number OF
cows would supply this need. The
farmer should not, because he does not
design making q business OF selling
milk and butter. be Indifferent in the
manner Of feeding. but should en-
deavor to make every thing, however
small it may be, bear as much profit as
possible.
II the farmer Is keeping mich cows
for their milk and butter, he must en-
able them to make the milk. The COW
is machine that grinds grain. hay or
grass into products Of greater value
than they arc themselves, and while we
do not. for obvious reasons, advise
forcing, we do advise feeding to the
highest degree consistent with safety
to the COW. In winter especially should
the feeding be liberal and the general
care unexceptional II tho farmer wishes
to sell milk and butter. for 1t is the
winter dairy that brings in the money.
In feeding for milk it Is not so much
the amount consumed as it Is the
quality Of feed and the manner OF feed
ing that give the best results. The
farmer is too prone to feed the mich
COW and OK with the same kind Of feed.
and in many cases the same quantity.
In feeding for milk one thing should be
kept prominently In view-a supply OF
moisture. This is where ensilage comes
in 80 handy and beneficially, but few
farmers have any OF this to feed. A
liberal feeding Of roots will give ex-
ccllent satisfaction. and these every
farmer that is worthy of the name can
have with little effort. Continuous
dry feeding is bad with any animal.
more especially if the foods are of the
fat-forming varieties. The bone and
muscle-forming foods contain more
moisture. and are. or should be, the
main food in the dairy.
Among the very best milk-producing
foods is red clover. but it is so bulky
that no cow could cat enough OF this
alone to produce any large amount OF
butter. Wheat-bran we think a fine
feed, mixed with clover and other
grasses. Green grass is q perfect food,
and needs no addition to make a com.
plete, well-balanced ration. The farmer
should strive to hav" his hay as nearly
as possible of the same composition as
grass. The compliant is our best fod.
der plant. 1t furnishes the largest
amount of feeding value per acre and
at the smallest cost per pound digesti-
bic. The greatest fault with many
farmers is not giving enough even Of
poor milk-producing food.
The appetites Of cows, like the APP
petitcs Of human beings, are some-
times capricious. A little care will
provide a variety Of food for the COW,
and the farmer should see to it. The
COW likes change. Often she may not
show it, except in the quantity Of milk.
She may eat whatever is placed before
her, but with . feeling that it does not
satisfy. Under such circumstances she
will not give as much milk and butter
as If she relished her food. Feed lib
orally and in variety, and treat your
cows kindly. Some farmers do not be-
lieve that few kicks and blows will
diminish the flow Of milk. They have
no patience with COW, especially
when they are in q hurry to get to
other business. But a COW does net
relish her food when scared as much as
when quiet. nor is it as digestible-or,
more properly, her digestion is not SO
good at such times. Prairie Farmer.