The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-07-04

VII.-Feedine and Wa
tering Cows-The Silo.
By LAURA ROSE,
Demonstration and Lecturer In Dairyins
at the Ontario Agricultural COL
Iege, Guelph, Canada.
copyright. 1911 by A. c. McClurs & Col
z + we are to get adequate return
e from our COWS we must give them
1T all times ali the feed they will
consume proitably. l'alaable
ness is a feature which cannot be over
looked. Cows like succulent food. Grass
is their natural and ideal diet. In sub
stituting. we ought to come us near to
1t as we can Corn silagc is the best
and cheapest and most easily handled
succulent food.
Variety in the cows ration is also
desirable. and so roots. mangels. car
rOts. sugar beets. one or all, should b"
provided. A mixture Of pulpcd roots
| and sii:.ge is better than either fnd
alone.
| If from some failure no s:lsrulent
| food is available. cut good oat straw.
| moisten it with water. sprinkle over i,
| little salt and let stand awhile. This
| makes it palatable. and if some meal
be added to it COWS will readily eat a
considerable quantity Shredded or cu,
cornstalks may be put into Il silo and
] steamed or moistened and thus, made
more acceptable and digcstib.e. but
this is POOR substitute for good silage
| II it is Il good mixed meal one pound
of meal to every four pounds Of milk
given by the COW is considered about
right Cows giving a good tow of
milk usually get from five to ten
pounds of meal per day Several kinds
of grain mixed together are better than
feeding one straight grain. but if lin.
tied to one choose chopped oats. Equal
parts of oats, peas. barley and bran
|
Some of the more concentrated foods.
such as oil cake. cottonseed meal or
gluten meal may be substituted or
added
Best Method Of Feeding
The best method of feeding is to pre-
pare in the morning enough feed TO:
two meals. mixing the cut straw. 81
| 10 mi IN,
pile in the feed room adjoining the
stable. Let this stand several honrS
before feeding Put the meal on top
Of this roughage when in the mnn..er
Feed twice day giving all the cows
will eat up clean in two hours After
that time the managers may be cleaned
out. little long hay may he given
Immediately after the mornin. and
evening feed or at noon. Have the III
tervals between feeds of equal length
In case of heavy mixers. where they
are milked more than twice Il day. they
should be fed after each milking.
Salt should always be before them
A lump of rock salt may be kept in
the manger. 1t makes them drink
more. desirable thing. and makes the
cream easier to churn.
Some cows have the habit of chew
ing bones, wood. etc. Give them II
small handful of fine hardwood ashes
In the feed two or three times a week
Such habit denotes lack Of mineral
matter.
Cows on good grass do not need any
grain unless in exceptional cases where
record is to be made Sometimes
just q pint or two of meal put in the
manger is good bait to bring the
cows willingly from the pasture to the
stable to be milked When they are
on the rich, fresh grass Of early sum
mer. which is very laxative. a little
cottonseed meal may be given as Il
corrective The meal will improve the
butter by adding tirmness
change of pasture is good both for
the pasture and the cows, If there Is
10 shade in the pasture the cows
should. if possible. be kept indoors
during the hottest hours Of the day
Bring them in at noon and give them
leeu Ol SlliSe Ut ulcdl, luci t'.ii
them out after the evening milking
Where most dairymen need to i'm
prove is in providing food for the cows
when the pasture gets short and dry
A small silo to open for summer feed
ing is coming much in vogue and TAX
ing the place of a soiling crop. Any
change from one food to another
should be gradual.
A few apples may be safely given
but if fed in large quantities they vii
give peculiar flavor to the milk Soul
apples are supposed to have Il tei.den
cy to dry up the milk When p'natnrs
,re cheap and plentiful they may l:s
fed to cows. but are more protila,l,
when boiled and given to pigs Chr
rotS appear to exercise specific. ar
ticn on the milk glands and cause III
Increased secretion of milk. Cows arr
very fond of cabbage. If the rahlmr'
is sound and limited amount fe,
after milking no serious objection l
found to the milk In feeding ali s'it'i
foods care must liz taken or the G'ill
will be off favored
A ration is the amount of food net