, 1907-11-26
cows FROM aaAss TO HAY.
pE6. A.. l. Haseksr, Nebraska, Tells
How Change, Should Be Made.

How Chan1a, should BE Made.
Cows are generally taken of 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 viii not be In condition to
receive the animals. and such little
fnattsrs ~ bSddiAs. feed. stalls, ETC.,
will hardly be in shape for this new
condition.
i The best method, In my experience,
70 change stock from pasture to win
ter feedswfthout causing a shrinkage
in the milk fow ora loss in body
weight Of the animal. is to make such
change g~rsduaily.s A week. at least,
should be taken to shift the animal
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
II fail rains have been plentiful the
grass may be In fairly good condition,
but somewhat frosty The cows II
allowed ccess to-a rack well filled
with hay will begin eating the hay.
ven while the pasture is good. They
win In this way become accustomed Il
the change gradually n will not suf-
fer as a result of the new rationsr
OneiCof the best foods to give i'm
mediately after removing from pas
ture is roots. Beets, lturnips or a
giles may be fed At this season to the
very best advantage. Beets are, as
. rule, in the best shape at this sea
son Of the year, and may be fed in
large rations, as esilage or hay would
be- Anbeet ration to a COW on full.
milk can be- made from 15 to 80
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, 1t
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 1t 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 &C.
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 1t that the windows and doors
are left open, for the season is gen
| orally mild during the late fall and
early winter and animals will suffer
more from close confinement than too
much ventilation. Remember that a
| COW requires as much fresh air as
ten people. Then II you are stabling
20 cows in a barn, consider what 200
people could stand in the way of con-
fnement. tuberculosis would be III
known II this were duly considered
and made allowance for.
Several years g 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 Novem Der, when the nights we're
cold and frosty. We found in this
l 8uOTt L6BL ALhAA III cNcTy 2 luSt6lrCE
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 It ia not muddy or disagree
able
We make it a 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 timey 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 nan miles, The
change from this condition to a .
row stall ia naturally rather severe,
and due consideration should be made
IN allowing the COW at this time as
much freedom and open air as pos
sibis.-Orange Judd Farmer.