The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-12-15
KEEPING COWS.
EXPERIMENT STATION NOTES.

issued, gives tne Iesuits oi an expert |
ment by p. ofessors Waters and Cald
well and MIR. Weld upon the question
Of the most profitable amount Of food
for mich COW.
In these experiments, ten COWS were
fed ration beginning with 8 lbs. of
grain and "a lbs. of hay and gradually
Increasing up to as high as Io lbs. Of
grain and az lbs. Of hay per day and
head, and then gradually decreasing
10 the original amount. Throughout
the experiment, accurate notes were
taken of the amount and cost of the
amount of milk produced by each
animal and its butter value as deter
mined by the Babcock test.
Perhaps the most striking lesson of
the experiment is the demonstration it
gives Of the profit there is in liberal
feeding. The cheapest ration used
cost S.S cents per day and produced
butter valued at a6.s cts. making a
net profit Of II cts. per day per COW.
An increase OF a.9 cts. per day per
COW in the cost Of this ration made
the daily value Of the butter 81 cts.
and the net profit 90 cts. per day or
a difference Of 10 cts. per day per
COW in favor of the more costly ration.
In other words, the farmer who at
tempted to economic by feeding
the cheaper ration would, with a herd
of as cows, save $sI7.5o per year on
his feed bills, but would lose S337.5o
worth OF butter that he might have
pro,,uced with the more costly ration,so
that his i'll judged attempt at economy
would result in net loss of $4,000.
The cheaper ration, moreover, is
what would ordinarily be considered a
good ration, and the majority of dairy
men would be likely to feed less rath-
er than more, yet the results of this
bulletin show concluslvely that with
such COWS as these, the more expen-
sive ration was really the more econo-
mical.
A further increase of the cost Of the
ration, however, to a5.I cents. per day
gave no further increase in the butter
product, and the net profit was there
by cut down to S 9 cts. less than with
the cheapest ration of the three. In
other words, the experiments indicate
that there is certain medium ration
for each COW which will give the great
est net profit and that any attempt TO
economiLe by feeding less than this
will result in loss, while, on the
other hand, 1t is possible to feed a
COW too much as well as too little.
Generally, however, there is more
danger OF feeding too little than too
much.
The experiment also brings out in
striking light the great individual
differences in COWS and the great i'm.
portance of a careful study by the
diaryman Of each individual OF his
herd, both as regards the amount Of
milk and butter produced and the
cost of feed consumed The net
profit yielded by each one of the ten
COWS In this experiment was the great
est on the medium ration, but it varied
In amount from 2,2 cts. per day to "a
cts. per day, equivalent, for a milking
period OF 800 days, to So 90 and $7s.-
90 respectively.
The increased profit coming from
the better feeding, too, varied greatly
with different animals, some respond
ing promptly and free yto the increase,
while on others it produced but little
effect.
The figures of the bulletin show
likewise what great differences in
profit there may be between COWS pro.
ducing very nearly the same total
amount of milk and butter per year.
For example, the records show that
last year.
Marguerite produced, 6,5ia lbs. of milk and 300
IDS. OF butter.
Ramona produced, 5459 lbs. OF milk and 27g
lbs. OF butter.
BY the customary standard of com
parlson, Marguerite would have been
regarded as the superior animal, barr
Ing difference in bres ding, etc, and
would have commanded the higher
price. On comparing the daily net
proht returned by these animals, how
ever, we find remarkable difference
not indicated or suggested by the but
ter and milk records.
Assuming that they remain fresh for
800 days and taking TIE average net
pfoht per day of all periods, we have
yearly profit for
Marguerite OF s3i so
'ha VI OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Ol oU
on this basis, at the end of SIX
years, which, for this case, we assume
10 be the productive life of a COW, and
aisregarding the offspring, they would
nave made total net return of
IN. ""''''' o.. ...........,...........-..., oo5 w
ms means that Marguerite would
nave yielded ten per cent. compound
interest on a purchase Drice of GJo6