The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-10-06
Feeding Dairy Cows
on Scientific Basis.
c. r. Barns, Extension Division,
Minnesota University Farm.

c. r. Barns, Extension Division.
Minnesota University Farm. =
+ + + + + + + + + + + + = + + + i.
Dairytae 10 q business enterprise.
wherein the quantity and quality Of
the milk secured from each csw. and
the cost OF its production, are the
factors which determine success or
failure. The standard by which the
! value Of the milk Is gagged. and there
fore the value of the COW which pro-
1uces 1t. Is the total amount Of butter
obtained from the milk. This, in turn.
depends mainly on the quantity and
quality Of the feed given the COW. Good
feeding is the keynote of successful
management on the dairy farm.
The study Of the art of feeding,
then. may well command the closest
attention by the farmer On it de-
Ponds the answer to the question::
shall my cows continue to yield only
the present Minnesota average Of 100
pounds OF butter each year, or shall
that average be raised to 260 pounds
per year," Professor Hacker de-
siares that the possibilities of the av.
erage COW, under proper feeding and
management. are about 100 pounds Of
butter per year more than our farm.
srs are now receiving. Mind! this 10
said. not Of high bred. fancy cows. but
u the average COW In Minnesota.
The addition Of 100 pounds Of butter
pr year to the product OF each ami.
nal. in herd Of say ten cows, would
mean an increase Of at least $500 .
ysar in the farmers gross income The
outlay necessary to secure 260 pounds
Of butter per head it but little more
than is necessary to secure the average
, a only 100 pounds. The expense Of
,, labor, shelter, ETC., is practically tho
same. The gain comes from the pro-
vision of an abundant supply Of sue
0ulent forage during the summer
when there is often, for want of 1t. IN
abnormal shrinkage in milk-and OF
feed, all seasons of the year, contain.
ing the right proportion Of roughage
and concentrates. "Roughage" in
cludes all the coarse portions Of "a
lion, such as hay. stover, fodder corn.
silage, roots, etc.. while the term
Concentrates" embraces all grains
and mill products. "Roughage" ordt.
, aarily contains but q small proportion
q protein or heterogeneous substances;
concentrates" larger proportion.
The latter being expensive, farmers
naturally try to avoid their use 30 far
% possible. But, while only one pound
Of protein is necessary to seven or
eight pounds Of digestible carbohy'
Crates and fat (supplisd by roughage)
that one pound 10 indispensable.
i AZ Professor Haecker Gays: "All
~ feed stuffs ordinarily grown on
u farm have an ample supply Of
carbohydrates, while nearly all are
short Of protein. When clover or al
falfa hay is available for roughage,
rations may be adjusted to the needs
Of cows with farm grains: but with
other roughage, such as marsh or
prairie hay, timothy, millet, sorghum,
fodder corn, stover and straw, some
concentrate with q high percentage of
protein must be added to the ration.
Economical, or what may be called SCI
ontific feeding, is providing in the ra'
ton the constituents needed for daily
maintenance and for milk production"
Professor Hacker has prepared a
series of tables by which It is easy to
calculate the ration required for COW
Of any given weight, according to the
amount of milk given and the per.
eontage Of butter-fat in It, It would
be we'll if every farmer could be In.
duced to use these tables. A few sam.
pie rations are here given 1t IL to be
premised, however, that cows differ
In regard to the amount desirable OF
roughage to grain; and again, cows
vary from year to year in the amount
Of nutriment they will utilize. For the
production of ordinary milk, grain
may be fed approximately at the rate
Of one pound of grain to three pounds
Of milk yielded daily. Ordinarily a
COW OF medium feeding capacity will
also consume two pounds of hay daily
per hundred weight Of COW. II receiv.
Ing no other roughage.
Ration for 900-pound COW, yielding
daily twenty-three pounds Of milk con.
tanning 3S per cent of butter-fat:
Glover hay .............. IL los.
Corn meal .............. 4 lbs
Barley meal ............ lbs.
Ration for 90O.pound COW. yielding
20 pounds Of per cent milk daily:
Timothy hay ............. 9 fbs.
Clover 9 lbs.
Corn ................. 8 TBS.
Bran IN
vi meal 10
Ration for 1,000-pound COW. yield.
ing Is pounds of 4 per cent milk daily:
Alfalfa hay .............. 10 lbs.
Timothy hay ............ 10 lbs.
Corn meal .............. lbs,
Barley meal ,,,..,... fbS