The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-11-21

most or quite pay bu6AC COsVS II SA0 W0
uure is we'll cared for and applied to the
land fresh.
Whatever adds to the comfort OF a
dairy COW increases the yield; discom-
fort reduces the yield. Comfortable
shelter, cleanliness, good, dry bedding,
and, if stabbed, comfortable methods OF
fastening, add to the milk yield.
Fr, quency of feeding, whether two
or three times a day, is largely a mat
ter of ha Oit, but regularity of feeding,
TO the hour, is essential to securing the
greatest yields.
Kindness is an efficient aid in increas
ing milk yield, and costs nothing. The
more a mixer can make the COW love
him as she loves her calf, the more
milk she will yield to him. Investiga-
tions show that it is probable that a
considerable portion Of the milk is
secreted during the operation Of milk
ing, especially the rich milk, which
comes last. Abuse and excitement re-
duee the secretion, and not only lower
the quality OF milk given, but often
lower the percentage of butter fat.
Kindness and petting make the COW
contented and put her nervous system
in euch a condition that the fulle st
yield is given.
A supply Of salt available whanever
the COW wants it, is necessary to main
tain a high milk yield. Salt stimulates
the appetite, assists digestion and es
similation and increases the flow of the
fluids of the body, stimulating ali the
vital functions of the animal. Sailing
dairy COWS oncea week is not sufficient.
It is a good plan to keep rock salt under
shelter where the COWS 4 get it at
will.
Feed and care are not the only fac
tors in the production of milk. There
are wide differences between individual
COWS and between herds.
This subject will be treated briefly
here. We have the records of nearly
300 Kansas herds. In one herd the
average yield in a year per COW is 1877
pounds butter fat; in another herd the
average is 334 pounds butter fat per
COW in a year. The yields of milk per
year per COW vary from 8 466 to 8 682
pounds. These records are all from
herds of common Kansas COWS handled
under Kansas conditions and by Kan
sas methods. E ch Of these herds is
made up of poor, Indifferent and coed
COWS, and if the best COWS only had
been selected in each herd the averages
would have been much higher.
Kansas creameries buy milk by the
Babcock test, paying for the butter fat,
and for this reason most of the patrons
want high testing milk. A low per
cent. of butter fat and a high ield may
bo more profitable than a high per
cent. Of butter fat and a low yield Be
fore US is the record of a herd where a
test was made of each cows milk In
this herd one COW whose milk averaged
4 6 per cent. butter fat gave 425 pounds
fat In q year, while another
whose milk averaged 5 8 per cent. but
fat, gave only 1877 pounds butter fat
for the same period There we're two
COWS, each of whose milk tested for the
year averaged 4 s per cent ; one gave
378 pounds butter fat, the other 1874
pounds butter fat.
Cost must also be considered. as we'll
as quantity. In a test OF seven weeks,
where all the COWS of the college herd
we're given the same kind of feeds, the
cost for feed Of producing 100 pounds
Of milk varied with the COW from 81
cents, and the cost Of producing a
pound of butter fat from 7 to Is cents.
Heavy feeders are usually the most
profitable. It takes about the same
amount of feed to keep the cows body
alive, whether she gives 75 pounds Of
in a year or 400 pounds, and
nothing is received for this part of the
eed. If the COW eats just a little more
than is required to keep her alive, her
yield will be small and the ccss high,
while II b eats a large quantity above
what is re quired to maintain her body,
she will give returns from a larger pro.
portion of her feed. 1t is much cheaper
TO milk and care for one COW giving 300
pounds OF butter fat in a year than it
is to milk and care for three COWS Civ
ing 100 pounds butter fat each; and il
the 300 pound COW is heavily fed che
will not eat AS much as the three 100
pound COWS.
Don't mix breeds in the dairy herd.
Different breeds require different treat
ment. Keep the blood pure and graded,
tor one creed only. constantly wedding
out the poor feeders and poor mixers.
J. L. LADD.