Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-06-13

ers and stock feeders. Subsequently
they We're advised by their experts to
weigh the milk of every COW night and
morning and to keep record of it and
to keep heifer calves only from what
were known to be their heaviest milk
ing cows. This expert advice was right
and prevailed, though some thought it
unnecessary. and at the present time
there are few Danish farmers who
could not give the annual yield in their
herds for several generations back.
The result Of it all was that probably
no cows in any country had such a
high average yield as those in Den
mark.
AS an example of what had been
done by selection and breeding the late
Mr.. e.. G. Tisdall told him that when
he was purchasing the best heifers he
could get their average yield was 426
gallons per annum for the first ten
years Of his experience. Heifer calves
were kept from the best of these, and
In a short time the average Of the
heifers vas 600 gallons in the year,
and in 1896, the end of the third period
of ten years, he had ten heifers which
averaged 800 gallons in one year. Mr..
Tisdall also told him that the system
Of feeding was practically the same all
the time.
The selection of the sire to mate with
the cows kept was also a point Of first
Importance. This was specially so be-
cause Of the fact that the bull would
regulate not the milk of one COW only,
but would influence for good or bad
that of every animal bred from him.
1t was therefore most important that
every stock bull kept for service in a
dairy herd should be out of the very
best milking COW procurable.
Their attention should also be direct
ed to keeping cows only whose milk
contained a high percentage Of butter
fat. They should not delude them
selves with the idea that if they had
cows giving plenty of milk all that
they required to do to get plenty OF
butter fat vas to feed them well. By
all means feed them well; but they
might rest assured that no amount OF
feeding would raise the percentage OF
fat in the milk of a cow which was
naturally low to equal the milk Of q
cow whose produce was naturally rich
Two cows could quite easily produce
the same quantity of milk in the year
yet when that milk was turned into
butter the n COW might have produc
ed 100 pounds more butter than the
other. That was not all, for the COW
which had the 100 extra pounds Of
butter had not probably cost any more
to keep than the other. When the COW
came to within a fortnight Of calving
she should be brought into the house
and kept there till she calved. This
was particularly necessary If food was
abundant, and especially so after mid
summer and during early autumn.
After being brought into the house
the COW should receive two or thre'
mashes of bran and treacle daily, will
a little hay and what water she caret
to drink. After the cow calved sh'
should not be MIXED completely DIR.
for several days. A little milk ,coult
be taken away as often as one liked
but only just a little to relieve the I'D
der. Until a week after calving tn
udder should never be completely emp
tied. The object Of this was to pre-
vent milk fever. In winter when il
calf cows should be put out every da.
for a little exercise, fresh air and wha
green food could be picked up on tn
pastures. If any grass was to be had
plenty of good hay vas all that wa
required. If no grass was available,
few turnips, potatoes or cabbages serv
ed to keep the bowels in good order
AS to the relative merits of crushed
or ground and whole grain Mr.. Spell
said that if grains were merely crushed
they would be found to give as goot
feeding results as If finer and that a
the same time they would not run int
dough, in which condition they wer'
sometimes dangerous. Tests made a
various times had shown that wheI
grain was thoroughly soaked in watel
before being used it gave best results.