New Ulm review., 1901-06-12
IJNPROFITABLE COWS
MAY WIPE OUT PROFITS OF MORE
VALUABLE ANIMALS.

: 4 4 s ri
In these days of close competition it
Is very necessary for a dairyman to
know the producing nature of each in
diyidual of his herd, says D. W. May
in American Agriculturist. An unprof-
table COW, while causing loss, may
wipe out the profits of more yalua BILE
animal. Some results Of the herd rec
ords at various experiment stations
may prove of value to the butter maker
by pointing out errors to be guarded
against
At the Ohio station experiments on
the production of milk show that with
the same food and under the same
treatment one COW may transform into
butter an amount Of fat equivalent to
all that is found in the food Aaother
may supplement this with fet previous
" stored up in the body, and still an
other may convert into butter other
constituents of the food than it's fat,
while others may divert the fat of the
food into formation of body fat rath-
er than butter.
The Connecticut station at Storrs adj
vlses farmers to make a close study of
the individual cows Of their herds and
to reject the improbable ones. The
value of COWS can be easily and cheap
~ studied by the use of the Babcock
milk test, together with daily weigh
ings of the milk. The Pennsylvania
station suggests applying the feed test
to each animal, as we'll as the butter
test, and wedding out those animals
that do not make a satisfactory return
for the food consumed.
The Cornell station found that in gen
eral the cows consuming the most food
produced both milk and fat at the low
est rate. The Minnesota station states
that the best cows, the annual butter
product of which exceeded 40 per cent
of the live weight, were small or medi-
um in size, although good ones were
found among the larger cows At the
Vermont station usually the cows CIV
ing the most milk and butter made it
most cheap1y, and those giving the least
milk or butter made it at the greatest
cost. AS a general rule the cows MAX
ing the most butter were the most eco
nomical producers. The larger cows
which ranked well in gross amounts Of
butter graded lower in most cases in
economy of production, while the small
er cows which stood near the head in
amount Of butter made did not lose
rank In the matter Of cheap manufac-
ture.
The Indiana station calls attention to
the Importance Of the selection of cows
In relation to the mammary gland.
While constitutional vigor and digest
i've capacity should always receive first
consideration, the breeder of dairy cat
tie cannot afford to breed inferior I'D
ders any more than can a breeder Of
trotters afford to breed slow gated ami
mails.
At the New Jersey station the best
COW paid for her feed and $4664 in ad-
dition to skimmilk and manure, while
$5.S4 represents the pay received for
the poorest cow. There is but little
profit derived from a COW that does
not produce 200 pounds of butter per
year, and selection of animals for the
butter dairy is necessary. The Mime
sofa station found that the average an
nual cost Of keeping dairy COW is $685.
A herd Of cows bred on dairy lines, well
fed and carefully handled, will produce
on an average 6,40O pounds of milk per
year at cost of 62 cents per 100
pounds and 1919 cents per pound for
butter fat. They will produce on an
average 300 pounds of butter fat per
year, which is equivalent to 365 pounds
of butter per COW. The average cost Of
a pound Of butter will be 1917 cents.
The Ohio station states that when
fed a ration composed of about one
fifth to one-fourth grains and the re-
mainder coarse foods Of good quality
our cows and those of several other.
stations have produced an average of
about 80 pounds Of butter fat to each
100 pounds Of dry matter In the food
besides making small gain in live
weight. In general when this rate Of
production Of butter fat has been ex-
ceeded there has been loss in weight,
and when the butter fat has fallen be-
low this rate there has been gain in
live weight. Exceptions to this gener-
al rule show that while some cows may
return handsome profit on their food
others may be fed at an actual loss,
even when both butter fat and increase
of live weight are counted at full value.
At the Michigan station the cost Of but
ter varied with different cows from 5.5
to 16 cents per pound and the net profit
per year from S6.0S to $94.05. The cows
giving the greatest net profit were the
three cows consuming the most feed.
Si1age For Summer Feeding.
have found silage corn very helpful
in carrying the dairy COW through
droughty July and August, says an
Ohio dairyman. Many dairymen grow
corn for this purpose, cutting and feed
ing daily from the field. After three
years experience with the silo for
summer feeding must say that pre-
fer to grow the corn year ahead. har-
vest it all in one day, then when the