The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-08-01
THE DAIRY
EnsiIage for Cows in Summer.
Erred o. Sibley)

Erred o. Sibley)
l think that every practical, as we'll
as scientific dairyman will agree with
me when l say that it is more difficult
to keep up the flow of milk from the
middle of July to the middle of Sep
TENDER than at any time of the year.
The best pastures frequently dry up
by the first of July and if some soil
ing crop is not at hand to supplement
this deficiency the milk flow will
quickly decrease. Ordinarily a COW
giving twenty pounds of like a day
needs to devour some seventy-hve
pounds of pasture grass or green for
age, which amount the generality OF
pastures will supply during the early
part of the season. but seldom so as
the middle of June or first of July. II
no green forage is then available to
compensate for this deficiency, the
milk flow must of necessity diminish.
Flies at about the same time begin to
get in their deadly work and mich
COWS want the best care that can pos
sibly be given them. A kind sympa-
thetic. thoughtful feeder is as import
ant in summer, let alone the rest of
the year, as food and breed.
He should begin his good work by
giving some corn ensilage and bran
after the herd goes to grass. Contin-
ued as long as the COWS will eat the
ensilage, one unacquainted with the
process would be surprised at the
amount of ensilage that will be de-
voured even while the animals are
pasturing on good grass. Then about
the middle of July the feeding of green
peas and oats sOwn together for the
purpose, along with some BRAN may
be commenced and by the first of
August ensilage worked back onto it
again, including from two to six
pounds of bran per head each day.
Heavy mixers will readily eat from
80 to 40 pounds of corn ensilage daily
during summer in addition to pastur-
age. The best time to feed it and the
meal is when they are put in the
stable to be MIXED. 1t is at best, Ia
borious business, especially when
other work is rushing, to go into the
field and cut and haul green fodder to
the stables for the COWS. 1t will take
a. man in the neighbOrhood of two
hours. depending on the distance he
has to go, to bring in sufficiency for
twenty -uN0 COWO, WhClO CO.'S CiiN poiiiO
may be got out of a silo in about one
fourth of the time.
Well preserved, the ensilage will be
Just as good too, leaving no faint on
the milk whatever, to be transferred
to either cheese or butter, though both
are made all summer. The way to 90
is to have a silo large enough so that
the lower portion of it's contents may
be carried through the winter Tor
warm weather feeding. This fed Off
in small sections to the bottom of the
receptacle so as not to expose too
much surface at time, will generally
be found to give excellent satisfaction.
Best of all is to have special s1lo
for summer feeding, but as the aver
age dairyman cannot afford this, he
should not be afraid to do the next
best thing, use the bottom ensilage
from the winter silo, provided 1T has
kept we'll and is in good condition. TO
those who desire to keep their COWS
through warm weather to the best ad-
vantage and with the least amount OF
labor possible, my advice is that they
make preparations this season to have
some first class corn ensilage to feed
next summer.