Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-12-22
Dad Takes a Lesson In Feeding.

Well, 1 have been looking into thil
COW business little more since wrote
that last letter. find that those cow
are not entirely to blame because they
doa't make more money.
We had two COWS come In about q
month ago. They are both cracking
good COWS. know because | fed and
MIXED them myself. But, say, learn
ed something and will tell you how
learned 1t. The boy began weighing
their milk every day after 1t got to be
good. Then he weighed the grain be
gave them.
always fed them up until they were
both getting two basins full of grain
apiece at feed on top OF the ensilsge.
It depended little from one year to the
other on the cost Of feed. II 1t was high
why wouldn't feed as much. believe
in feeding economically.
Well, the boy had different idea-a
lot of these young fellows have differ
ent ideas. Some of them are SO differ
ent that they would run the old man
into the poor house. Well, I'll have to
admit that this different idea was differ.
ent from that kind.
This is what be did. he kept scales
at both ends. As long as the cows kept
increasing in milk be kept stufiog in
moro grain until they were both getting
two basins full, the same as l fed, and
were giving about 80 pounds of milk
apiece q day. Well, had to wink my
eye at the boy to show bim that the old
man wasn't an "old codger" after all
when 1t came to feeding. He took 1t
all right but kept right on weighing both
ends-the feed at one end and the milk
at the other, and increasing the feed
about half a pound every other day.
The two basins full Of feed made a
little over four pounds. was in favor
of stopping but some Of his dads sport
ing blood came out and he said, Lets
zee how much they can give" So he
showed In more feed. One COW gave q
pound or two more with the extra feed
but that was all, 80 he had to drop back
TO the two basins full.
But that other COW never did get
square meal before, l guess. She is
great big raw. .boned animal that / was
almost ashamed to have on the premises.
But she was such good cow that hat.
ed to sell her and besides, she never had
enough meat on her bones 80 but that
could hang my coat and hat on her hips.
When she came in this fall she was In
the best shape ever saw her. l guess
the boy fed her more grain than l
thought he did, when she was dry.
Well, he has kept chucking In the grain
and she has kept turning out the milk
until now she is giving a little ovar 40
lbs. of milk day of of IS pounds of
grain day.
guess have been feeding that old
COW about like a neighbor OF mine
here for threshing. Well, he is stingy
old fool and will never hire an extra
man the way the rest of us do. So
when we 60 to his place, we are about
one man short on the bundles and the
threshers just have to fool along because
the feeder can'tget grain fast enough.
So it always takes an hour or two longer
than 1t ought to and 1t usually happens
that all the threshers are there for an
extra meal or have to stay over night at
ter We finish, because 1t is so late.
This year threshed out just third
more oats in the same time by having an
extra man. Why, the throat of that ma
chine was full all the time and tell you
the "bagger" didn't have much time to
sit around this year. can tell you that
from now on that COW is going to get all
she wants to eat and am thinking that
her dagger" will be busy too.-Hoard's
Dairyman.