The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-02-27
FEEDING FOR MILK.

Special Feeding. II Directed by Intelli.
gence, VIII liner ease tho Flow and Inn.
prove the Quality Of MILK.
We are willing to admit the value of
breeding for milk; but the best breed Of
cows must have judicious feeding to
render their qualities Of any material
value. Even the most learned and UNI
learned, as far back as the history of
the COW reaches. have expressed their
belief that the quality of the milk may
DO improved and the fow Of milk in.
creased by special feeding. Stewart
says: "There is no room TO doubt, on
philosophical principles, that variations
from fixed type Of animal have been
caused by food and climate" All ad.
init, and actual tests on the butchers
block, have time and again taught us
what food will do in increasing the apt
ness Of an animal to fatten, and in lay
ing on and fiavoring the flesh. It will
do the same, II directed by intelligence,
in increasing the flow and improving the
quality Of milk. Further, II by skill in
feeding you have developed par
ticular part or secretion, you may
often succeed in fixing this in the
progeny BY breeding. So we might,
therefore, properly credit feeding with
the beginning Of all development, and
then breeding and feeding will continue
it. That you can take an ordinary cow,
Of good constitution, and improve both
quality and quantity by judicious feed
ing. we have demonstrated to our satis-
faction time and again Two years ago
the coming December we took farrow
COW from the herd. She was giving two
quarts Of milk day. As soon as we
could, we brought her to full feed on
the following ration partially taken
from Stewards Feeding Animals"
Spounds Of cut corn fodder.
6pounds Of wheat bran.
3pounds OF linsc I'd meal
pounds of cotton seed meal.
4p0unds Of corn meal.
She rapidly increased her flow Of milk
to ten quarts day. from which was
made over pound of butter. This was
grade Durham, weighing when in good
flesh about LOO poundA In February
we sold the cow to . neighbor who
wanted one for milk.
He took her home and fed her ordi-
nary meadow hay and corn meal, all she
would eat, but she Immediately dropped
to less than Ave quarts, and under his
feeding he could not again bring her up
to the point she was steadily maintain.
ing when we sold her.
The same winter, In January, we took
an ordinary new milch COW, weighing
about eight hundred pounds and gave
her the same kinds and proportions Of
feed As was fed to the farr0w COW, but oi
course . less quantity, as her size did
not admit OF her consuming SO much.
From her l received about fourteen
quarts of milk daily, from which wal
made one and one-half pounds of but
tor. The latter was rather handsome
COW, taken towards debt, but Of nc
special breed that we could learn. The
latter cow fattened quite rapidly, beside,
giving the milk above mentioned; but
neither of these cows were considered Q,
extra Of their class. The results of these
two instances were 90 satisfactory tha1
we concluded to try and feed some far
row cows last winter. Not being able
to get the cotton seed meal ut price Il
suit US, we substituted linseed and corr
meal in its place. by December oul
cows were in fine condition, and some
parties from near the city, wishing cow
Tor winter use, asked MS to place price
on them, which we did, placing it .,
high that we had no idea they would b,
taken. They were, however, and we hai
to buy another lot. In making the ex
change we lost good months valuabl,
time, as 1t took us that much time +
bring the cows bought to their best flow
We gradually brought them up howeve
until they averaged almost : pound o
butter day, which quantity they main
tanned until we sold al but one Of then
In April and May for beef. This on,
COW showed such marked indications o
good milking qualities that we had he
served and are now milking her as
| fresh COW. OF those sold for beef all
with one exception, were pronounced b,
the buyer in fine condition. That on,
was at least twelve years old and yer.
poor when bought, and also, was tn,
only COW in the lot that did not Civ,
good pay for the feed.
These experiences have been valuabl,
lessons to us, and 80 far have proven d
us that We may feed specially for mill
and yet receive fair returns for the labo
and feed. We shall feed farrow cow
again the coming winter, but will US.
ensilage and good clover hay IS par
of the rations. We shall hereafter avoit
commencing with any old and poor cows
-Pennsylvania Farmer.