Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-01-24
WINTER MANAGEMENT Of
DAIRY CATTLE

Frosts have now cut down the pas
'ufage to the point where the dairymal
must largely depend on stored feed an,
concentrates for the maintenance of hi,
Verd' This Is the season of the yea
men the greatest effort should be ex
pended on maintaining an abundant flow
" milk for there is a greater demand fol
eli the products OF the dairy during tn,
winter months than at any other sea
son. This Is due in a measure to thu
cutting off by cold weather of a part OF
Tue vegetables ordinarily produced in the
home garden and the shortage OF pas
lures and the relatively high price Of
leed resulting in many owners tempo.
s&rily, at least, disposing of their cows.
All OF this tends to increase the demand
Tor dairy products and to make it espe.
eially profitable to supply them to the
market in good condition and in suffi.
Gent abundance to meet the local de-
mand which exists everywhere during
the winter months.
10 maintain the flow of milk success
luily, 1t is necessary that the feed be
thoroughly adapted to the needs of the
animal, both as to quality and quantity.
VI course the amount to feed will vary
with the age and weight of the animal
and the flow of milk given. The dual.
NY will be influenced less by these fac
tors since all dairy COWS require a ra-
tion relatively high in those elements
winch tend to produce albumen, casein
and the other essential elements of nor.
mai milk. Certainly the COW cannot
manufacture this complicated product in
abundance and with uniformity from
DAY to day unless she is supplied
through the ration daily with the ele-
ments needed in the production of an
abundant flow OF milk. 1t therefore ap.
pears certain that to withhold feed when
the pastures become short is a suicidal
policy on the part of the dairyman. and
since the cow is absolutely dependent on
the owner for the nature and character
OF the ration she receives, 1t is more i'm.
portant during the winter months than
at any other season of the year that the
ration be adjusted so as to best meet
the natural requirements of the animal.
Feeding COWS in a sl~ip-shop manner ia
waste of energy and they must also
be watered with regularity. Any product
which normally consists of 81 per cent
OF water makes it certain that the ami.
mails producing it require an abundance
OF this element. If the water is pure
and wholesome the COWS will drink more
OF it, and hence the digestive system
will be kept in better condition and the
elaboration of milk 60 forward with
greater uniformity Anything which
promotes the comfort of the COW, there
fore, is highly important. Overlooking
is as Objectionable as undertaking. To
give ten pounds of grain per day at one
feed is almost as bad as to give half the
amount in two feeds. In one case there
is a tendency for the COW to gorge hel-
self and upset the digestive organs. In
the other case she is not receiving
enough of the nutrients essential to her
welfare. In either case the product 10
cut off and the owner complains that his
business is conducted at a loss when the
trouble is entirely due to his own indif-
ferent management. If the owners of
dairy cows would complain less about the
study it more consistently
and endeavor to find out where the leaks
are and stop them, the industry would
make rapid strides in the south, for it
offers one of the most profitable lines of
and development open to our
farmers, and those who fail in the dairy
business, if they are honest with them
must charge it up to their own
lack of knowledge or to careless and is
different management.
What and how to feed the COW is tho
next important item to consider. First
Of all, she must have a liberal ration OF
concentrates. An abundance of protein
of which to elaborate certain of the milk
clements is essential. AS the basis of .
ration there is nothing superior to cot
ton seed meal. A clean, wholesome grade
this material furnishes the protein
at a lower cost than anything
else which the farmer can purchase. If
he has an abundance of corn on his farm
and desires to use some of it, he may
make his ration two-thirds cotton seed
meal and one-third corn. If he desires
10 use bran in the ration a mixture con-
sisting of one-third of each of the three
concentrates will be found wholesome
and desirable. There is no reason why
cotton seed meal should not be used
alone by the %dairyman provided over
is not INDUCED in. A pound of
his concentrate contains ordinarily as
much protein as four pounds of corn
neal. This Is a larger ration of corn
neal than would ordinarily be fed ex.
,ept to an extremely large cow giving a
most remarkable flow of milk. For a
.0O0-pound Gov from five to six pounds
cotton seed meal will be found about
light when she is giving from two o
more gallons Of milk per day. If corn
md bran be added to the ration as much
IS eight to ten pounds of this mixture
nay be fed to advantage to q cow of the
Ibove weight. Roughage should be sup
lied in abundance. 1t should be- clean,
z- -.ol1s ,yI,1ocOna ond no1af.