The log cabin Democrat., 1914-10-17
Agricultural
FEEDING OF DAIRY COWS.

l In order to secure the best results from dairy the dairyman should be
 as careful about the selection of feed for his cows as he should be about the selecting of his cows.
 The feeding of dairy cows has en- volved a great deal of study for the Ipast half century. Feeding is most important subject to the farmer and dairyman. And today, thanks to mod ern science, we know how to com pound rations for dairy cows from all ] farm products and feeding stuffs. Because of high prices of feed stuffs men began to select a ration, which at the least cost, COW would get suff- cient quantity of food containing all the elements necessary for the form ling of milk properly proportioned with the heat-forming elements.
 One should not wait till the birth of the calf to begin the feeding of dairy COW. As the time approaches for calving she should be allowed to have plenty of food, but never allow her to become fat at the time of calv- ing. She should not be allowed to de- pend on dry food alone, but should be given a food out of which she can make blood, bone and muscle, and milk also. One of the very best ra- tions at this time is 100 pounds of wheat bran, 100 pounds of oats (chopped) 50 pounds of corn chops and 25 pounds of cottonseed meal, mixed, and fed together with plenty of ruffage. She should be fed a hand ful of epson salts mixed with her feed night and morning for a few days before calving
 After calving she should be fed warmed mash of wheat bran or some thing similar, and should be given small drinks of warm water. Never allow her to drink extremely cold water
 During the period of location she should be fed a balanced ration. All food consists of water and dry mat ter. The dry matter consists of pro- tein, carbohydrates and fats A ra- tion which consists of one part pro- tein to six parts carbohydrates and fats is said to be a balanced ration. Nutritive ratio is obtained by divid- ing the sum of the carbohydrates and fats by 1-2 by the protein. The pro- tein in food goes to make blood, bone, muscle and milk This is a very inn portant factor in cows ration. The carbohydrates and fats in food serve the same purpose, although fat is more effective than carbohydrates One pound of fat is equivalent to 2 IA pounds of carbohydrates Starch and sugar are the most important carbohydrates. Carbohydrates also contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen The purpose of the carbohydrates is to keep the body warm and for move ment, although it does not hurt cows to feed them unbalanced rations, but it is waste of feed, and wasted feed is wasted money
 A dairy COW should have plenty of clean, pure water. Never allow her to drink stagnant or impure water. Eighty-seven per cent of milk is wat CT, therefore, one should be very care ful about the water for his dairy cows.
 A dairyman with a herd of 10 or more cows should not be without a silo. Silage is the very best winter feed for dairy COWS A dairy COW should have green feed during the winter months, and by having silo feed can be kept green all through the winter Corn siage has a ratio of LA, that is, it has one part pro tein to fourteen parts carbohydrates and fats. The sugar beets are very valuable feed for winter, as cows rel ish roots in winter very much, just the same as people relish fruit. Sugar beets have ratio of 1 ;94 and clover hay is an excellent ration. It has ratio of :5.8, which is almost a perfectly balanced ration. Cotton seed meal is comparatively new feed and one should be very careful about