Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-06-17
Summer Feed For Cows.

Summer Feed For Cows.
The following article was written
by H. 9. Carpenter, feed instructor
of the Palmer Hubbard Co. and pub
lished in the Independence Conser-
vative of last week. We reproduce
| it for the benefit of the dairymen
readers of the Democrat.
The dairymen's profit depends
very largely on the treatment of
their cows during the summer
months. After the middle of July
flies become very troublesome, and
with persistency worthy better
cause they exist only to destroy the
comfort Of the cows. Because of
this, our herds waste many hours
of valuable time every day punched
up in the corner of the pasture, or
grouped together in some other place.
Not always because of short pasture
or scarcity of feed do our herds
shrink in milk one half by the mid
die or last of August. They do shrink,
however, because of the scorpion
sting of the terrible flies, and this in
consequence of not having them
well employed chewing their cud,
while they are frantically tossing
their heads, stamping their feet and
violently twisting their tails in their
vain endeavor to ward off their con-
slant tormentors.
This uses much vital energy, which
requires food to supply, which other
wise would be converted into milk.
If the COWS were chewing their cuds
during the many hours they. are
fighting flies while they are bunch
ed together before they separate and
begin to feed, the shrinkage in the
milk flow would 81 scarcely notice.
labla. This IL when tho sun1nier
saling system becomes very profit
able, and always pays ten times its
cost in time spent and what little ex-
pense is involved in cutting the
green feed for the COWS.
Our first crop sowed to provide
green feed for cows and pigs was
oats and Canada field peas at the
rate.of two bushels Of peas to one
bushel of oats. These were drilled
in as early as the frost was out in
April sufficient to cover them two
inches on clay soil or four inches on
a sandy or loan soil. These were
sowed at intervals two weeks apart,
one acre Of which would feed % cows,
the brood sows and 40 pigs two
weeks, and three sowings would fur
nish abundance of feed, a light feed
at night and heavy feed the next
morning, until the middle of August
when an abundance Of green corn
was available for summer feeding
night and morning. The night feed
was quite light, some cows eating
scarcely any; however, the morning
feed was greedily devoured, which
was a manger full, and the COWS
were employed in working their
jaws all the time they were punched,
and when the jaw goes the milk
flows. II is too late to SOW oats and
peas this season; there are other
crops, however, that may be used to
great advantage, for instance, green
oats in the milk, and no farmer will
ever realize as much money from an
acre, as when cut green and fed to
his cows night and morning. Cut
one swath sufficiently long with the
mower to feed the herd, bunch with
the hay rake and haul to the barn at
once, feed light at night and leave
enough on the wagon for heavy
feed in the morning. Follow this
with green sweet corn or field corn
in the milk and in order to keep the
corn in this condition as long as
possible, two pieces should be plan
ted two weeks apart. When corn
assumes more mature condition too
much of it will cause the cows to
fatten which is Objectionable be-
cause they will shrink in milk and
dry up early.
We are anxious to assist our pat
rons in making their business more
profitable. With system of sum-
mer soiling, and proper winter feed
ing and care the writer's herd pro-
duced annually from % COWS ST.
/ 7lO, an average of $77.77 per COW.
i The poorest COW in the herd pro-
Z duced $50 and the best COW 500
and there was not a registered ami
NAL among them, excepting the sire,
which was Guernsey. This ac-
count did not include the calves OF
skim milk. Try summer feeding
this summer and make your dairy
ing more profitable. Don't say you
cannot afford it, you cannot afford
not to. The dairyman who is re-
ceiving $40 per head for the milk,
ing period will realize $50. On a
herd of 20 cows this would make q
difference in favor of summer soiling
of $500 and it will not consume
only an hour day for two months
| No farmer who milks five COWS and
upwards can afford to neglect his
cows during Ay-time. The COWS
that MAINTAIN a uniform flow through
August, September and October g
into winter quarters in vastly bet
i ter condition to makea large proft
for the year than when allowed tc
dry nm early and hoard. 81, The farm,