The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-03-22
FULL FEEDING.
Not Much Danger to Be Apprehended
from This Cause.

Not Much Danger to Be Apprehended
from This Cause.
Some old fogies have an idea that high
feeding, as they call it, but what sensi.
BILE men call full feeding, exhausts the
vitality and energy of the COW, causing
her to wear out sooner than she would
on short diet. Possibly COW may be
overfed, but it will be difficult to make
her eat more than she needs if she is
fed regularly A starved cow might
gorge herself to her injury, but if fed
regularly a properly balanced ration she
will not injure herself by overeating.
And as to exhausting her, it strikes me
that she will hold out much longer if
we'll fed.
A man on half rations would wear
out and break down much sooner than
If full fed. The same is true of work
animal or of a mich COW. There is
nothing gained but much lost by star
walton diet.
But suppose, says the Country Gentle
man, full feeding should shorten the
term of productiveness, is there not
more profit in large yield for
few years than in small
yield for double the length Of
time? The small yield does not pay
cost, and prolonging it only increases
the loss, while the large yield only can
give profit.
1t used to be thought that the way to
get profit from pigs was to feed them on
short rations twelve months or more
and then fatten them, but men have
learned better. In Holland no farmer
keeps pigs longer than eight or nine
months Better feed them we'll ali the
time and no longer than you have to,
and get good profit making them weigh
almost as much in eight months as they
used to at twenty. This is saving of
feed. just so it is with the COW, and
our best dairymen are finding it out
Do not be afraid of wearing out your
COW by giving her enough to eat. Keep
her all the time at her best. A clean
barn is also good for the COW and it ex-
erts a good influence among the en-
ployes. Customers, also, who drop in
will quietly note the fact, and health
and thrift will prevail. 1t is good
plan to tie the cows tail while in
stable to hook fastened overhead in
such way that when she lies down the
brush is held up from the dirt, but when
standing the tail is in its natural po-
sition. Let your most faithful man at
tend to the feeding. He will reduce
the grain bill, while at the same time
giving each COW her proper share. Brush
and card the cows daily. Sickness is
often avoided in this way. Kindness to
animals costs nothing, and they appre-
ciate and pay for good treatment.
For mich COWS nothing is better than
young hay or young clover hay. This is
much sweeter and more nutritious
than timothy. Old, ripe timothy hay is
good for nothing. 1t makes poor
meadows, poor cows, poor milk, poor
butter-every thing poor. Mich cows
should have water twice every day, cnce
is not enough. They eat great deal Of
dry food and must have plenty of water
to help digest it and make milk. Good
feeding and good care cost nothing and
make farmer rich. Poor feeding,
dirty barn and poor care cost a great
deal and make the farmer very poor.
Keep no poor mixers, no smokers; keep
the COWS MIXED very clean and no
trouble with their udders Always milk
before feeding; never while the cows
are eating.