The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-07-26
and Wa
tering Cows-The Silo.
By LAURA ROSE,
Demonstration and Lecturer In Dairvine
at the Ontario Agricultural COL
lege. Guelph, Canada.

copyright. 1911. by A. c. McClurs & Co.
+ we are to get adequate returns
from our cows we must give them
at all times all the feed they will
consume proftably. Palatable-
ness Is feature which cannot be over
looked. Cows like succuIent food. Grass
Is their natural and ideal diet In sub
| shutting, we ought to come as near to
1t as we can. Corn silage 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 be
provided. A mixture Of pulped roots
| and silage is better than either fed
| alone.
IT from some failure no succulent
food is available, cut good oat straw,
mOtsten it with water. sprinkle over 1t
little salt and let stand awhile This
makes it palatable. and if some meal
be added to 1t cows will readily eat a
considerable quantity. Shredded or cut
cornstalks may be put into a silo and
steamed or moistened and thus made
more acceptable and digestible. but
this is poor substitute for good silage.
II it is good mixed meal one pound
of meal to every four pounds of milk
given by the COW Is considered about
right. Cows giving good flow 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 linn
tied to one choose chopped oats. Equal
parts of oats. peas, barley and bran
i make an excellent and cheap mixture.
Some of the more concentrated foods.
, such as oil cake, cottonseed meal or
i gluten meal may be substituted or
i added
Best Method Of Feeding.
| The best method Of feeding is to pre-
pare in the morning enough feed for
| two meals. mixing the cut straw, 81
lage and pulped roots together in
pile in the feed room adjoining the
stable. Let this stand several hours
before feeding Put the meal on top
of this roughage when in the manger.
Feed twice day. giving all the cows
will eat up clean in two hours. After
out. A little long hay may be given
Immediately after the morning and
evening feed or at noon. Have the in
tervals between feeds of equal length.
In case Of heavy mixers. where they
are MIXED more than twice day, they
should be fed after each milking.
Salt should always be before them.
A lump of rock salt may be kept in
the manager 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 a
small handful of fine hardwood ashes
in the feed two or three times week.
Such a habit denotes lack of mineral
matter.
Cows on good grass do not need any
grain unless in exceptional cases where
q record Is to be made. Sometimes
just pint or two of meal put in the
manager is a good bait to bring the
cows willingly from the pasture to the
stable to be MIXED When they are
on the rich. fresh grass of early sum-
mer, which Is very laxative. a little
cottonseed meal may be given as
corrective. The meal will improve the
butter by adding firmness.
| A change of pasture is good both for
the pasture and the cows. If there is
no 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
q feed of silage or meal. then turn
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 soiing 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 will
give a peculiar flavor to the milk Sour
apples are supposed to have tenden-
sy to dry up the milk. When potatoes
are cheap and plentiful they may be
fed to cows. but are more profitable
when boiled and given to pigs. Car
rots appear to exercise a specific &C.
ton on the milk glands and cause an
increased secretion Of milk. Cows are
very fond of cabbage. If the cabbage
is sound and limited amount fed
after milking. no serious objection is
found to the milk In feeding all such
! foods care must be taken or the mix
will be off favored
| A ration is the amount of food nec-