Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-10
COWS FROM GRASS TO HAY.
Prof. A. L. Hacker, Nebraska, Tells
How Change Should Be Made.

Cows are generally taken off pasture
some time during the late fall when a
big storm is In progress and 1t be-
comes necessary TO house them. This
method, while very natural, is not to
be recommended, as the chances are
the barn will not be in condition to
receive the animals, and such little
matters as bedding, feed. stalls, etc.
will hardly be in shape for this new
condition.
The best method, in my experience.
to change stock from pasture to win
ter feed without causing a shrinkage
in the milk flow or a loss in body
weight of the animal, is to make such
change gradually. A week, at least,
should be taken to shift the animal
from grass to dry feed or from pas
ture to winter. Very often during
the season of the year when cows are
changed the pasture is rather short
and sometimes tough and dry, though
If fall rains have been plentiful the
grass may be in fairly good condition,
but somewhat frosty. The cows IL
allowed access to rack well filled
with hay will begin eating the hay
even while the pasture is good. They
will in this way become accustomed to
the change gradually and will not suf
fer as a result of the new ration.
One of the best foods to give i'm
medlately after removing from pas
ture is roots. Beets. turnips or man
giles may be fed at this season to the
very best advantage. Beets are, as
a rule, in the best shape at this seal
son of the year, and may be fed in
large rations, as silage or hay would
be. A beet ration TO COW on full
milk can be made from Is to 30
pounds daily from four to ten pounds
of grain. according to the amount of
milk the animal is producing, and its
capacity.
When forage or hay is given, it
should be to the best quality at this
time of the year, for the animal must
be tempted with rations of the most
palatable kind. If there is some
spoiled hay in stack or barn do not
feed it at this time, for it will come
in much better during the cold win
ter months, when the animal has nat
urally a good appetite and is well ac-
customed to dry food Keep the cows
out of doors as much as possible. that
is, stable only when necessary. If
the general custom is to stable nights.
see to it that the windows and doors
are left open, for the season is gen
orally mild during the late fall and
early wint9g..a ld animals will suffer
more from rose confinement than too
much ventilation. Remember that
COW requires as much fresh air as
ten people. Then if you are stabling
20 cows in a barn, consider what 200
people could stand in the way of con
finement. tuberculosis would be un-
known if this were duly considered
and made allowance for.
Several years ago we made a little
test to ascertain the effect of stabling
as compared with allowing the animal
access TO the open yard with sheds ad-
Joining. The test was carried on dur
ing November when the nights were
cold and frosty We found in this
short test that in every instance
where the cows were compelled to
sleep in the barn in stalls they did
not give as large a yield of milk as
when allowed the open air. We were
quite surprised about this for the
nights We're quite cold, though dry.
The barn was well ventilated and the
animals had plenty of good, dry bed
ding and were in clean stalls Never
theless, a stall is not as comfortable
for an animal as the ground, pro-
viding 1t is not muddy or disagree
able.
We make it practice, when chang
ing from grass TO dry feed, of allowing
the COWS as much liberty as possible
in yards or paddocks about the barn;
also to put them in the barn only
when the weather is bad or at milk
ing time, until they are well accus-
toned to the new condition While
COWS are on pasture they naturally
take considerable exercise. In graz
ing they walk many miles. The
change from this condition to a mar
row stall is naturally rather severe,
and due consideration should be made
in allowing the COW at this time as
much freedom and open air as pos
Judd Farmer.