Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-11-05

roughage were weighed out 10 eacl
COW at every feeding and a careful
record kept of the amounts eacl
kind of feed given. The fee trucks
and scales used for the weighing O
different feeds are shown in appended
tables.
The treatment of the herd during
the summer periods was that known
as partial soiling that is, the cow
were pastured every night and par
of each day during the spring AM
corn sIlage every day until about May
18th, after which time they were fe.
a rotation of soIling or green crops II
the barn. These crops included fall
sown rye, alfalfa, clover, peas and
oats, vetches and oats, and oats sowI
alone, followed by early.sown Dwarf
Essex rape, early dent corn, sorghum
evergreen sweet corn and, last OF all
late-sown rape. All these crops were
not fed in any one year, but they have
been fed during the four-year period
under consideration. They were
grown on one-eight and one-quarte:
acre plots and were cut and hauled to
the barns every day as needed, aud
supplied ample succulent green feed
during the summer periods.
The pasturage during the summer
periods under consideration was
limited in quantity and was generally
poor III quality, owing to seasons of
extreme drought from 1S9S-1901, and
excessive precipitation during 1902
The allowance of grain during the
summer periods was, as a rule, greatly
reduced from that fed in winter and
was limited with certain COWS to
wheat bran alone, OF which only a
couple OF pounds a day was fed in
some cases. Under conditions ot
limited pasturage it was found necea.
sary to feed some grain through the
entire year, except when COWS were
dry or, in case of very persistent
mixers, when they were being dried
OH.
System of Feeding.
The system of feeding practiced has
underwent important changes during
the years covered by the investigation.
During the first year. after the found
ing Of the herd all the COWS received
practically the same kinds aud
amounts of roughage and grain feed
while in full flow of milk, and the
amounts of roughage eaten by the
different COWS were estimated from
frequent weighings during the year
With a herd composed of COWS OF
different breeds and types, it was
found mat the individual COWS require
not only different amounts of the
various feeds, but also widely differing
combinations of these feeds in order to
produce large and economical returns
in milk and butter in all cases. 1t
naturally required some time to be-
come familiar with the different cows,
since these were brought into the herl
from various sources and their in.
dividual characteristics were there.
fore unknown. During the first year
certain COWS in the herd maintained
q normal weight and gave a large and
profitable return in milk, while others
receiving the same feed gained rapidly
in weight and produced only a small
yield OF milk.
During the second year the system
Of feeding was changed in such a
way that each COW was given all the
hay, silage and other rough feed thai
she would consume, and a sufficient
amount of grain mixture adapted to
her inherent tendencies, to produce
the largest milk flow possible without
at the same time causing an APP
preeiable increase in live weight. 1t
was found necessary, in order to ac-
complish this, to make frequent
changes in the character and amount
Of grain feed given certain cows
since some mixtures caused these cows
to gam rapidly in weight, which m
crease was nearly always associated
with a pronounced tendency toward a
decreased production of milk. In
carrying out this system Of feeding it
was found very desirable to make
frequent and regular weighings of the
cows, and weekly weighings were,
therefore, practiced of late years.
The cows were weighed on a stock
scale in the barn twice a month up TO
1900 and after that time they have
been weighed once every week, viz,
Mon day mornings at 500 O'Clock. In
general way, the tendency of cow
to lay on flesh may be observed with
out the use of stock scales, but smaller
changes in the weight CT cows cannot
be detected by mere inspection, ana
in careful work in cCw feeding where
the effects Of the different combina.
tions or amounts of feeds are being
studied, facilities for accurately de-
termIning the weight of the cows are
Indispensable.
Milk and Butter Fat Records.
The COWS were MIXED at the same
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