Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-12-28

High prices for hay and fed of al
kinds cause dairymen to think more
seriously about what rations to feed
their cows during winter than does
any other factor. The cost and the
character of feed with which to pro
vide suitable rations fer cows bears q
very close relation to the returns
which the dairyman gets from his
herd, and it will pay we'll to study the
question carefully at al times both
from the standpoint of economy and
Of efficiency Of rations.
Feeding Hay.
With a nice quantity Of alfalfa hay
in addition to corn silage, the feed
ing problem is most simple and the
returns most satisfactory. Hay from
red clover, mixed grasses, oats cut
in the early milk stage, and timothy
are next to alfalfa in the order named.
Eight to ten pounds of hay is
usually required in addition to what
silage and grain a cow consumes.
Without corn silage at least twice
this amount is required and more
expensive grain ration if the same re-
suits are to be secured.
Feeding Grain.
In all instances cows should be
fed up to their normal milking capa-
city. An underfed COW never earns
for the owner all that she is capable
of earning. More or less grain is
necessary, especially in winter. to
provide a ration which will produce
and maintain large flow of milk. 1t
has been found a good rule to feed as
many pounds of grain mixture per day
to each COW as she produces pounds
Of butter per week or one-fourth to
one third as much grain as she gives
pounds Of milk daily, the amount in
either case depending upon the
amount of fat in the milk This guam
t1ty Of grain il addition to corn silage
and other rOughage insures feeding
cows at profit when prices for feed
and dairy products are consistent with
one another, and the dairyman is
careful to have his ration of suitable
character and the dairy we'll organ
lied with reference to its manage
ment
Selecting Rations.
Prices for grain and other con-
eentrated feeds and the character of
the roughage should determine the
kind of ration one will feed. 1t does
not pay to feed any farm grown grains
to COWS without grinding them Elk
periments prove that corn fed whole
to dairy COWS incurs a loss Of at least
25 per cent of the grain Hogs allowed
to root over the manure would save
much of the corn which passes undi-
gested, but there is still a loss due to
the inefficiency OF the whole grain to
produce milk The loss in feeding
whole cats is considerably greater.
Grounds oats are claimed to be equal
to mixture Of equal parts of corn
meal and wheat bran and it is there
fore easy for the farmer to determine
whether or not he will grind and feed
his oats or sell them and buy bran
and perhaps other concentrated feeds.
When oats are 45 cents a bushel one
must consider carefully the possibility
Of finding substitute. Every dairy
man should figure a suitable ration for
his cows and at the same time deter
mine it's cost. This will enable him
to realize best what he can afford to
do in preparing rations
Community Fxneriancn
The writer was at one time re-
quested to prepare rations in a given
community for COWS weighing 1000
pounds and capable of producing one
pound of butter fat per day. On most
of the farms timothy hay was the only
available roughage. Some farmers had
mixed hay, others clover hay and a
few silage with which to supplement
clover hay. The only grains and con
centrated commercial feeding stuffs
available on the farms and local mar
ket were corn, oats, bran, and oil
meal. The following prices per ton
for these feeds actually prevailed ex-
cept for silage, which was assumed
at its usual feeding value: corn meal
$22; ground oats, $50; wheat bran,
s25; oil meal, $40; timothy hay, $40;
mixed hay, $40; clover hay, $18; corn
silage, SO.
The following rations were neces-
sary for COWS Of the above size and
producing capacity, according to
feeding standard resulting from nine
years work at the University Of Wis
consin with herd averaging about
% head.*
*For a discussion Of this feeding
test see Bulletin 200 Of the Wisconsin
station.
Ratinn L