Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-01-03
osNsRAl PRINCIPLES or STOCK
FEEDING.
BY rRor. COOKE, DIRECTOR OF THE
VERMONT EXPERIMENT STATION.

The speaker stated at opening that hs
should pass lightly over the mechanical
part Of the work. The practice settled
down upon is to feed only night and
morning. They used the Buckley water
device which keeps water before the
animal all the time.
In feeding grain would advise about
half Of grain by weight Of the lighter
grain such N bran, llnseed, or oats.
The animal should be comfortable In
all respects. Anything different from
this Will cut dow n the flow, and also will
reduce the quality Of same.
Those feeds that COWS like the best are
the best digestrd. These facts may have
no relation, but Il fact all the same.
The fodder must not be too bulky.
This fact all will be ready to admit. In
food cost the concentrated foods are
most profitable.
The food Is classified Into two general
parts, those which make heat In one
class and those that make muscle In the
other class. The dry COW needs the heat
forming material mostly. All farmers
know lt would be bad practice to feed a
mllch COW ON straw alone. The defect is
the straw lacks In the flesh formers or
milk formers. On the other hand you
would not feed wholly on llnseed for
just the opposite reasons. Farmers gen.
orally have the Idea that certain feeds
make watery or thin milk; yet expert
menters do not lind that these different
foods make little difference In the quality
of the milk.
The proper proportion between these
two classes OF food nutrients he did not
believe rigid rule could be set down for
the guidance of feeders. The German
ratio Ii part flesh formers to 8 ID Of
the heat formers. How near feeders
.hould adhere to this must depend ON
circumstances of situation and other con-
,iltions. Clover Il one Of the best dairy
feeds. Peas and oats are u good crop
growing thin, for an early crop to take
of about the first Of July, then follow
slth crop Of barley. This last Is not
killed by frO.ts, and he had found moth
Ing the cows rellshed better than green
harley.
Has slso been using another combina-
ton that Il corn and rye. The corn IL
grown and at the proper season sowing
the rye among the corn. IL will make
quite u growth In autumn, and will b.
ready to cut for fodder from the middle
IL MAY to the last. The rye should be
,'ut quite green and run through the cut
ter cutting short and ~elghtlng heavily.
Eusllage-n0thlng that can be done To
green fodder will Increase Its digestl-
bllity. The change, II any, Il always the
ether way. You cannot have more feed
Ing value than the original fodder.
Ensllagc Is not well balanced food.
Ensilsge IL not more valuable than the
same amount Of dry matter In the shock
sd aud dry fodder.
The good parts Of ensil,ge are first, II
Ia healthy food. Ii will not In itself in-
jure the quality of milk or butter. ii IL
possible that the fiavors and OdOrs of the
.nsilage may be transferred to the milk
from outside sources, but not through
the COW. Ensilsge Il relished by the
cow, hence they eat Il freely.
On the average Il Il easier to preserve
from loss In the silo than when shocked
snd dried. The ,nsilage Will carry In
good condition through the winter and
into spring.
The great value Of the ensllage IL that
u enables the farmer To raise larger
,mount Of fool for stock ON given area
of land.
IL Is of large value In the education OF
the dsiryman. The former practice has
been to be indifferent to the fodder value
of this corn crop. The effect OF this IL
TO make the dairyman appreciate II more.
md from that he Il led to u more thought
ful AMI careful attention to his business
throughout.
This lecture of Prof. Cooke was n
model Of its kind throughout-clean cut.
,lrar, conclse and painted throughout.
We regret We are unable to give it entire,
instead Of but this brief extract. There
Is u good measure Of square common
.euse In this man.