Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-04-30
Feeding Time, University Dairy Herd.

cept for a short time on dry, warm
days, when they were allowed to exer-
else in the yard. They were watered
twice daily in cement troughs in the
barn and were not turned out on cold
days for at least a couple of hours
after watering. The following daily
schedule of work in the dairy barn
shows the system of management of
the cows during the winter period:
Daily Schedule of Work in Dairy Barn
400 a. m.-Gran fed
4:15 a. m.-Cows MIXED
$50 a. m.-Silage fed.
1880 a. m.-Cows watered.
500 a. m.-Stables cleaned and bedded.
900 a. INLAY fed
1000 a. m.-Cows groOmed.
II AS a. m.-Cows turned out.
200 p. mistakes cleaned
$3.50 p. m.-Cows watered.
400 p. m.-Grain fed
Alb p. m.-Cows MIXED.
500 p. m.-Silage fed.
Fresh heavy mixers were MIXED three
times day, viz, at 400 and 1880 a.
m, and at 7:30 p. m.
The roughage fed to the cows dur
Ing the winter periods consisted of
corn silage and mixed hay, largely
timothy and clover, with occasional
feeding of roots (sugar beets) The
grain was made up of a variety of
different feeds: wheat bran, corn
meal, distillers' grains, oats, oil meal
and brewers grains, the first three be-
ing fed throughout the period and the
others at times in smaller quantities.
The standard grain mixture fed dur
Ing the past year was made up of
whett bran, corn meal and distillers'
grains, in the proportion of 3:43, the
nutative ratio of the mixture being
1:4.6. The general practice followed
was to feed as many pounds of grain
daily per COW as she produced pounds
of butter fat during the week, i. e.
seven times as much grain as the
amount of fat produced daily Tor one
quarter to one-third as much grain as
the amount of milk given, according to
its quality. The cows received in ad.
dition to this allowance of concen.
trates, as much silage and hay as
they could eat up clean, the amounts
eaten varying according with the feed
ing capacity of the different COWS, 25
to As pounds of silage and four to six
pounds of hay being the usual
amounts eaten daily.
The nutritive ratios of the entire
winter rations made up as described,
ranged from 1863 to S.S, according
to the production of the COWS and the
amounts of concentrates fed. The
grain and the roughage eaten by each
COW were weighed out at every feed
ing and a careful record kept of the
amounts. These were charged on our
record book to the respective COWS
opposite their weekly production of
milk and butter fat, as determined by
separate weighings of each milking
and testing a composite sample of the
milk produced by each COW during
the week. The cows were carefully
watched to see that they ate with
keen appetites. If they did not clean
up their feed readily. it was reduced
in quantity or varied as to kinds fed,
so as to make certain that they were
always in a thrifty condition and did
not get off feed. A possible tendency
towards fattening which is common
in cows of less pronounced inherent
dairy temperaments. was guarded
against by changing the character Of
the rations fed whenever such a ten
dency was made apparent by the
weekly weights of the COWS and by
direct observation.
The cows were turned to pasture at
the close of the winter period, May IL,
and the grain feed reduced; silage or
hay were fed after that date last year.
At the time the pastures began TO dry
up they were supplemented by green
corn fed in the barn and later on by
corn silage. Similar quantities of
soiling crops were fed as Of silage,
viz, 20 to 30 pounds per head daily,
/ on the average; more or less grain be-
ing fed through the summer in the
case OF nearly all the cows.
The following schedule of prices has
been used in calculating the cost OF
the feeds fed and in determining the
value of the products. The prices Of
feeds given may be considered aver