The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-03-02
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ECONOMY OF LIBERAL FEEDING.

ECONOMY OF LIBERAL FEEDING.
A cow giving a large flow of milk
is hard working animal and needs
to be fed accordingly. 1t is estimat-
ed, says Prof d. H. Otis of the Kan
sas experiment station, that about
60 per cent. of what COW is able to
consume goes to maintain the wear
and tear on her system, and the profit
in milk and butter fat production
comes from the feed she consumes
outside of this amount needed for
support. The cow is selfish enough
to take her share of the feed first,
and then what is left over goes to the
owner for his profit. If this per cent
needed for maintenance is correct, 1T
stands to reason that cow fed 70
per cent of what she will eat will re-
turn 10 per cent pro1it; while the cow
fed 100 per cent will return 40 per
cent or four times as much. OF
course it is possible to overfeed,
and a man should watch his feed bin
and milk scales at the same time. If
he suspects that the cow is not get
ting enough then he should increase
the feed, and if she responds in the
form of increased yield of milk per-
haps the feed should be increased
some more; but if she fails to re-
spond, then withdraw the extra feed.
Our experience indicates that the
cows must be studied individually,
and the amount of feed given them
must vary according to the individual
capacity. 1t took very little more
feed for our best cows than it did for
our poor cows. If we had withheld
the feed from the good cows, the
amount realized would have been ma
terially decreased. 1t does not pay
to feed a poor COW, put it does pay
to feed a good cow literally.
When feeds are high it sets the
dairyman to thinking how he can
combine them in the best possible
form to get the largest results from
the value of the feed used. This
means that the man must size up his
herd and not feed the cows more
nigh priced feeds than the value Of
the products they will turn out.
Mature dry COWS and those so near
dry that their milk is not paying for
their feed can be put on maintenance
rations, i. e., enough feed to keep the
animal in good health and enable 1t
to maintain its present weight with
out making gains. The following
may serve as a guide TO the amount
of different feeds required per thou
sand pounds live weight:
1. Wheat straw IS to 20 pounds
bran or pounds.
2. Corn fodder (stover Is to 20
pounds (feed all the cattle will eaD,
corn chop of bran or pounds. Dat
straw can take the place of corn fod-
der by increasing the grain allowance
one-half pound.
8. Sorghum hay 20 pounds, corn
chop or bran 21z pounds. Fodder,
corn and timothy hay can be used
in place of sorghum hay, and the al
lowance of grain increased trifie.
4. Dat hay, millet hay and orchard
grass hay will probably maintain an
animal without grain. Prairie hay
may require little grain. Alfalfa
and clover hay will not only main
ttain an animal but will enable it to
| grow or gain in live weight. When
alfalfa forms a part tI the ration with
other roughage an animal can be
maintained without grain.
In the above rations, corn chop and
bran have been used for the grain
because in many localities they are
| the cheapest. Where ground wheat
and oats can be had at the same
price they make excellent substitutes.
Kafir corn or sorghum seed can also
be used, by slightly increasing the
| allowance.
In an ordinary herd cows will be
| found that vary considerably in their
milk yield. 1t stands to reason that a
cow giving ten pounds of milk daily
does not need the same quality and
| quantity of feed as a cow giving 20
or 80 pounds daily. The rations fol-
lowing indicate the amount needed
daily per head where different
amounts of milk are produced. When
cottonseed zeal is used cows should
be accustomed to ii gradually. Al
low one-half pound the first day, and
increase not over one-fourth Of a
pound per day.