Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-02-20
PROPER RkTIONS
FOR DAIRY COWS
No Dairyman Can Afford TO
Be Without Corn
Silage
PROTEIN IS ALSO ESSENTIAL
The Cost of Feed May Be Reduced BY
Farmers Clubs Ordering Car.
load Shipments.

AT lulS llIuS VI bhC ySAi'
rows are off pasture and have to be led
grain to keep up good hcw OF miih'
the question naturally presents ITSELF
"what grain should feed?" The dairy
COW. in order to maintain her physical
yigor and yield large flow OF MILK
must receive sufficient food nutrients
to maintain her body weight without
losing flesh, to supply the nutrients IN
IN the milk. and, if carrying CALI 10
grow that calf to- weigh about 20
pounds when born.
The various nutrients contained IL
the feeding stuffs used to build up ana
maintain the animal body and 10 pro-
duce milk may be divided into rev
classes-water, ash, fat, carbohydrates
and protein. All feeds contain these
substances in varying amounts. me
most important of these nutrients LOT
milk production is protein, ana II
forms nearly one-third of the solld ma
,erials found in milk. Protein is also
essential in growing the calf IN foelus.
Every feeder of dairy cattle shouiu
proyide himself with table showing
tbe dieestibility of the various feeds'
Farmers Bulletin No. % can be gotten
by asking for it from the Department
of Agriculture, Washington, d. Z. Ihls
bulletin contains such table.
For the cow giving large
amount of milk the roughage
containing a high percentage OF
digestible protein should be leo'
such as clover and alfalfa hay. Corn
silage is also roughage, although 1t
does not contain grain corn. Siiage
has another advantage over most leeds
IN that II adds succulence to the ration
and the cow always responds pest 10
q succulent ration. Silage is the cheap
est feed which the farmers can grow
and no dairyman can possibly anoru "
he without at least one silo.
Generally it is good policy to FEED all
the rough feed the COW will clean up,
and feed just as much concentrated
or grain feeds as is necessary 10 sup,
plv the needed nutrients. Where good
clover or alfalfa hay and corn silage
are available less Of the concentrates
high in protein need be fed. Corn Is
moor grain to feed without adding
some other concentrate high In pro-
tein. because it Is low in protein. oats
is high in protein, and If not too hlgh
In price, Is a good feed to feed with
corn. Very often oats sells low enough
so that it may be used in the dairy
ration as a source of protein.
What other feeds shall be led VIII
be largely determined by what is avail
able 1t Is nearly always possible to
get cotton seed meal, and this concen'
trate at the customary prices furnishes
protein at the lowest cost, because 81
per cent of the total protein is digesti-
BILE. Not more than two or two and a
half pounds Of It should be fed day
and this making up not more than 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 constipating feed, so that 1t is al.
WAYS fed with best results with corn
silage. which is laxative. Where no
corn silage is fed, linseed oil meal (old
process) should be fed, as this Is
laxative and furnishes cheap protein
This can be fed in about the same
amount as cotton seed meal. and never
alone, but always in a mixed ration.
There are other feeds on the market
a little less concentrated, which very
often furnish protein at reasonable
price. Dry distiller's grains is one OF
these. 1t 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 a
good feed when not too expensive. II
has the advantage Of containing fail
amount of protein and adding bulk to
the ration. 1t is also high in minera,
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 fol
milk production in the proper proper
| tons AS rule, with few exceptions
such feeds are variable in composition
frequently containing weed seeds ant
useless waste material, are high IL
| fiber and expensive, when the available
nutrients are taken into consideration
| Generally there is plenty of feed OF
| the farm, like corn slower and poo
hay, which will supply crude fiber ant
bulk much cheaper than such feeds
In purchasing grain feeds it is yer.
often advisable for few farmers t
order together and get carload 10
Of feed, thereby saving the profit o
the retailer. This can be done to goot
advantage when farmers are organizet
in farmers clubs and oranges.
P. B. BENNETCH,
College of Agriculture, West Vir-
| --:o rn;u