The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-07-09
Feeding the Dairy Cow.

acondensed from Farmers Review
stenographic Report of Wisconsin
Roundup Institute.)
uE. Cook, of New York, talked on
+he dairy COW. He said in part: We
know well enough that milk for young
and fresh grass for mature animals
Give results far above other kinds OF
feed We know that the succulent
qualities of grass are well balanced,
but the condition in which they are
fed as to succulence, is of great i'm
portance. The success of any feed is
locked up in this one word "digesti
bilty." Regularity of feeding is of
great Importance. l let a regular
feeder take the place of an irregular
feeder, and with 40 cows he increased
the milk flow enough to pay for his
services. do not think 1t makes
much difference whether cattle are
fed twice or three times day.
There is a tendency among some
farmers to feed well when the prices
for milk are good, and to discontinue
such good feeding when prices drop.
They seem to imagine that when prices
again rise they can readily bring back
the milk flow by resuming the high
feeding dropped some months before.
But this cannot be done, as the flow
once lessened cannot ne renewed till
the COW comes in fresh again. | have
X own men that had cows come In
fresh in the spring leave them with
nothing but pasture in midsummer
because they said milk was cheap.
Then in the fall, when the price for
milk was again satisfactory, they went
to feeding again hoping to bring back
the flow that had been lost After
low feeding, high feeding produces
only Indigestion. The pastures begin
to fail about July first. This mid
summer drouth can be counted on.
have made quite reputation as a
prophet prophesying drouth in mid
summer.
We must adopt at least a semi-soil-
ing system. We have in New York
much land that will grow alfalfa, but
In most of our state oats and COW
peas are the great soiling crops. We
put the peas in to depth of four inch
es, and sow enough oats to hold up
the peas. These oats and peas give
a good crop for forage during the dry
weather, and what are left make good
hay. They have the advantage of corn
in that they are ready 10 be fed several
weeks before the first corn is ready.
The feeding of concentrates depends
largely on the amount of succulent
feed the animals are receiving. Some
men attempt to keep up the flow of
milk by feeding large quantities OF
concentrates without feeding much
succulent feed, but this method always
proves very expensive, and entails a
loss. The flow can be kept up that
way, but not at profit.
AS to the feeding of cows before par
turition Too much starchy matter is
often fed; but during this time there
should be no departure from bal
anced ration. do not fear garget OF
milk fever on this kind of food. Gar
get is the result of catching cold.
Q.-ln keeping up the summer flow
OF mix would you only feed soiline
crops in addition to the pasture, oil
would you also feed some grain?
Ave feed grain all the year round
There is a part of the time that We
do not know that we get it back; but
we keep it up all the same. l find thai
COWS that are fed little muscle form
Ing feed during June have more
strength than they otherwise would
have.
Q.-Do you SOW oats and peas in the
spring and feed from them all sum
mer?
A.-No, sir; you know better thar
that.
Q.-Whens do your COWS come in?
A.-About April. The continuou!
feeding throughout the year, develop:
the COW into more permanent milk
er. l would like to have COW 60
ury SIX weeks. But the cows that droI
thelr calves in the fall are the one!
that will not dry up. They would ma
turally fall off in their milk in abou
SIX months, but at that time the spring
pastures are in good condition, and tn,
supply Of milk keeps up. Then, too
you will get cows sometimes that are
such persistent mixers that they will
not dry up. In such cases we do not lei
ehem bear calves every twelve months
continuous milking and bearing a call
eVery twelve months would exhaust
them too much. AS to watering, the
COW wants water after she eats.
Q'-Do you feed your grain dry?
Ave feed it dry, and water the
cows twice day.
Q'-Do you feed as much grain in
the summer as in the winter?
Ave do not.