Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1908-12-25
Keeping the Diary Cow en-
der Summer Conditions.

Keeping the Diary Cow on-
der Summer Conditions.
Every farmer who keeps dairy
cows expects them to produce
the largest amount Of milk in the
early part of the summer soon
after they are turned on grass.
1t is not unusual for the amount
of milk produced by a herd Of
cows to be doubled when they
are changed from dry feed to
pasture. This suggests that it
would be q good thing to keep
these summer conditions which
are 80 favorable throughout the
year. This is exactly what the
skilled dairyman attempts to do
and the nearer he comes to imi.
tating these conditions, the great
or is his success. These summer
conditions which cause the dairy
cow to produce the largest amount
of milk may be described as fol-
lows:
Abundance of palatable food /;
a balanced ration ;succulent feed
moderate temperature; comfor-
table surroundings.
AS has been pointed out in o
previous article the failure to
feed enough food is a common
mistake made in feeding cows
This especially applies to the
heavier mixers. Having pala'
table food means having food ot
such a quality that a sufficient
quantity will be eaten to allow
the animal to produce milk eco'
nomically. These conditions are
found when the animal is on pas
ture.
Pasture grasses also make q
balanced ration which is thu
second requirement and whicf
has to be initiated in winter feed
ing. Feeding corn, corn fodde,
and timothy hay is not feeding
balanced ration and the result
are unsatisfactory because sum
= mer conditions are not beinI
'maintShaed, To make balance
ration, as explained in a previou
: article, it is necessary to fee
4 something which contains a larg
y amount of protein, such as alfal
3 ia, cowpea or clover hay; or il
8 case these are not at hand tn
A lack must be made up by feeding
8 bran, oilmeal or cottonseed meal
81 The third condition given a
being responsible for good result
: in summer is that Of succulen
r feed. BY succulent feed
meant feed having that propert
possessed by green grass, gree
corn or root crops. Grass give
a the best results partly because
: supplies food of this character
, This summer condition is main
: tanned in the winter by feedin
4 corn silage. Every farmer wh
:. ia interested in producing tn
4 largest quantity of milk and feed
: ing his cattle most economical
in the winter should be provide
with q silo.
N The fourth reason stated wh
y the cow does best on pasture
., early summer is that Of modera
q temperature. At that season
l- the year the weather is comfot
~ table, neither too hot nor too col
/ This suggests that one of the col
= ditions that must be observed
~ winter is to keep ami pals in mot
g. crate temperature. It ia not me-
ID essary to keep q dairy barn war;
is but COWS should, by all means,
le protected from storms and co
Ie weather. A we'll ventilated bal
th where the temperature sta,
le above freezing except in vel
10 cold weather is the most suitabl
Id Another reason why the CO
III does we'll in early summer is th
the surroundings are comfortab
TO initiate these conditions
o winter animals must have
BE- clean, light, well ventilated bar
asImust be tied in such q way th
I = = A.