Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-10-06
CARE OF The DAIRY HERD.

CARE OF THE DAIRY HERD.
The feed must be sound. We cannot
feed musty, mouldy hay or decayed feed,
and keep the cows system in order and
produce perfect milk. have had trouble
from feeding mouldy hay from top OF
stack and bottom of mows, from feeding
mouldy ground feed and also from feed
ing decayed silsge. Many dairymen ex-
pose too much surface at one time In
their silos; SO much that they cannot
keep ahead of decay. In constructing
silo plan to have no more than eight sur
face feet per COW To be fed exposed at
once. Make the compartments OF such
size that this object will be secured. One
point We must ne always looking after
Is palatability. We cannot expect
COW 10 do profitable work with food
that she does not like or relish. We can
bv neglec,iug this matter secure no
profit from cows that would with proper
treatment secure three hundred pounds
of butter per .nuum. There does not
year pass that | do not have this point
impressed upon my mind by my own
experience and also by the experience OF
many of my patrons.
The average dsirym1n does not COM
mence cutting his hay "a early as he
ought; ne th,r doe he cut his corn ss
eariv A. he should TO secure the best re-
suits. We should not blame the COW for
our mistakes, neither for our ignorance.
II we do not know how TO feed and care
for her intelligently let us learn. III We
know how and do not do IL We deserve
TO be kicked by the COW until We prom
ise 10 do as well as we know. have
never been able 10 bridge over the mis-
takes have made in not securing best
hsv or silage for my cows. An increase
OF the ground feed will help, but IL will
not cover the mistake in full. Al the
same time IL Increases the cost OF food
a. a rule, AS in most localities the coarse
foods sre the most economical so fsr a.
they can be used, and when We fail TO
secure them in the best possible condi-
ton we lose something we can never re-
cover. We should learn not to do II
gain.
/ have fed silage 10 cows and young
stock for twelve wears, and my faith in
il has had gradual growth and IL great
or now than ever before. do not make
IL the entire coarse food, but feed some
dry fodder, usually hay or corn fodder.
There have been many mistakes made In
this field in the past; many OF Va planted
the corn too ,hickly aud put IL into the
silo In toe immature condition. Tor
merlv planted twenty 10 thirty quarts OF
seed per acre, but now plant ten quarts.
do not grow a. many tons per acre, but
am confident | secure more profit from
feeding an acre planted with ten quarts
OF seed than did when planting twenty
Ia thirty quarts OF seed.
when silage is fed the milk must not
he exposed where IL can absorb the odors
after il l. drawn from the cows. IL Is
best 10 feed the silage after milking, as
the danger of absorbing the odor from II
is much less. believe the best guide
10 the proper stage OF maturity TO have
the corn when put into the silo Is Inc
COW. and IL we watch the work OF the
cows digestive organs we can learn
much OF value 10 Us. NV experience has
taught me that IL is between the denting
and glazing stage. IL the corn il allowed
20 90 much past the glazing stage the
COW will not digest il all.
have often asked myself IL could
afford 10 have COW spend her vital
force irving 20 digest indige.tible food.
cannot sce the profit in such work and
fully believe il shortens the period OF
COWS usefulness. | have learned that
cows prefer warm To cold water and l
practice warming their drinking water
i'm cold weather. | have never watered
in the stable. have thought consider
able about il. but am less disposed TO do
II now than | was several years ago. |
believe IL is 70 the advantage OF the COW
10 90 out Of the stable long enough daily
20 get what water she wants.-Breeder's
L. Iaffe