The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-01-07

PROPER Rl0N
FOR DAIRY COWS
No Dairyman Can Afford To
Be Without Corn
siIage
PROTEIN IS ALSO Essential.
The Cost Of Feed May Be Reduced BY
The Cost Of Feed May Be Reduced b
Farmers clubs Ordering Car
load Shipments.

al lul6 L4uC VI SAAS Gel $500
cows are off pasture and have to be fed
grain to keep up a good flow of milk.
the question naturally presents itself,
what grain should I,feed?" The dairy
COW, in order to maintain her physical
vigor and yield large flow OF milk
must receive sufficient food nutrients
10 maintain her body weight without
losing flesh, to supply the nutrients in
in the milk, and, If carrying calf, TO
grow that calf TO weigh about IS
pounds when born.
The various nutrients contained IN
the feeding stuffs used to build up and
maintain the animal body and to pro-
duce milk may be divided into few
casses-water, ash. fat, carbohydrates
and protein. All feeds contain these
substances in varying amounts. the
most important Of these nutrients Tor
milk production is protein, and IT
forms nearly one.third OF the solid ma
terials found in milk. Protein Is also
essential in growing the calf In foetus.
Every feeder of dairy cattle should
provide himself with table showing
the digestIbility OF the various teeds'
Farmers Bulletin No. % can be gotten
BY asking for it from the Department
Of Agriculture. Washington, D. {. Ihls
cuNh table
Fer the COW giving a large
amount OF milk the roughage
containing a high percentage OF
digestible protein should be ted'
such as clover and alfalfa hay. Corn
sIIage is also roughage, although 1t
does not contain grain corn. Silage
has another advantage over most feeds
in that it adds succulence to the ration
and the COW always responds best to
a succulent ration. Silage is the cheap
est feed which the farmers can grow,
and no dairyman can possibly afford 10
lie without at least one silo
Generally 1t is good policy 10 feed all
the rough feed the COW will clean up,
and feed just as much concentrate"
or grain feeds as Is necessary TO sup
lily the needed nutrients. Where good
clover or alfalfa hay and corn sllage
! are available less Of the concentrates
Thigh in protein need be fed. Corn Is
4 poor grain TOT .feRd without adding
! come other rate--high- in pro-
teln, because it is low IN protein. Oats
is high in protein, and il not too high
in price, is a good feed to feed with
corn. Very often oats sells low enough
90 that it may be used In the dairy
ration as a source of protein.
What other feeds shall be fed Will
be largely determined by what is avail
able 1t is nearly always possible to
get cotton seed meal, and this concen,
uate al the customary prices furnishes
protein at the lowest cost, because 81
per cent Of the total protein is digesti.
bic. Not more than two or two and
half pounds OF 1t should be fed day
and this making up not more a:an one
third Of a mixed ration. Variety is de-
sirable in the dairy ration, so 1t is al
ways best to feed cotton seed meal
with other feeds, like corn and some
other feed more bulky, like ground
oats or wheat bran. Cotton seed meal
is a constlpating feed, so that it is al
ways fed with best results with corn
siage, which is laxative. Where no
Icorn silage is fed, linSeed oil meal told
process) should be fed, as this Is a
laxative and furnishes cheap protein.
This can be fed in about the same
amount as cotton seed meal, and never
alone, but always in mixed ration.
There are other feeds on the market
a little less concentrated, which very
often furnish protein at a reasonable
price. Dry dlstiller's grains is one of
these. It has the advantage Of being
bulky and the disadvantage Of being
rather variable In composition. Gluten
feed is another good feed to buy, but,
like distiller's dry grains, should be
fed with other grains, never alone.
Wheat bran, mentioned before, Is q
good feed when not too expensive. 1t
has the advantage Of containing fair
amour! of protein and adding bulk to
the ration. II is also high in mineral
matter.
There in another class of feeds gen
orally offered and which may be called
proprietary feeds. They are mixed
dairy feeds,"' and are recommended
to contain the nutrients necessary for
milk production in the proper proper.
tons AS rule, with few exceptions,
such feeds are variable in composition,
frequently containing weed seeds and
useless waste material, are high in
fiber and expensive, when the available
nutrients are taken into consideration.
Generally there is plenty Of feed on
ts:e farm, like corn stover and poor
hay, which will supply crude fiber and
bulk much cheaper than such feeds.
In purchasing grain feeds It is very
often advisable for a few farmers to
4 order together and get carload lot
Of feed, thereby saving the profit OF
the retailer. This can be done to good
advantage when farmers are organized
in farmers clubs and oranges.