Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-14
PART IL.


ion that where cotton seed meal cOnsti-
suites the sole concentrate dairy cattle
tend TO fall OF in flesh and become too
thin. Your attention Is called 10 the
weight Of these animals at the begin
ming and the end OF the feeding period.
Including the preliminary and transit
tion period these cows were maintained
on the rations described for a period OF
nearly 40 days. You will notice tina.
group 1 receiving silage and cotton seed
meal lost 5 pounds Group lost
pounds and group lost SIS pounds. The
contention, therefore. that cotton seed
meal will not maintain dairy cows in
good condition does not seem 70 be well
substantiated and this is in accord with
our general experience in feeding dairy
cows for a period OF more than twenty
years where silage and cotton seed meal
have constituted the chief elements or
the winter ration used.
INFLUENCE OF FOOD COST on RA-
TIONS
Bear In nrnd that the figures pre-
sented in the table represent the fool
consumed and milk and butter prOduc-
ed BY the four cows in each group. In
other words. they practically represent
ed the amount OF feed consumed and the
yield OF milk and butter which might
be anticipated from a good dairy cow
in a Iactation period covering one year.
You will see. therefore. that a good dairy
COW yielding 5000 and 1000 pounds of
milk which is far above the average,
would consume about a ton OF cotton
seed meal. little less than 1.SoO pounds
OF mixed grain feed when fed a mini
mum ration OF concentrates and hay.
and nearly two tons OF mixed concen-
trates and hay when fed with a mini
mixed ration OF silage and hay al libi-
tum Where a high ration Of silags
was fed nearly s IL tons was consum-
ed per cow. When the ration OF concen-
trates was cut down and hay used to re-
place a part OF the grain ration, the
COW still consumed silage at the rate
OF about 10 tons When the silage
was minimized and the hay and mixei
concentrates increased. only about two
tons Of silage was consumed On the
basis OF the average prices indicated
above. the cost Of the food consumed by
group I and was S4s.45: group S62-20,
and group s79.s3. There was a jif :
ference between the cost OF the ration
fed the FIRST group and the second group
OF sI18 and OF sS0.5s as between the
rations fed group one and group three.
This OF itself is an Illuminating eX-
ample OF the influence which feeds exert
on the cost OF production. but il should
he noted at this point that the silage
and cotton seed meal is a home grown
ration as IL were and when used help
20 provide a profitable market for one
OF the most important by-prOducts OF
the average southern farm and TO util-
IKE forage crops which every farmer
can make and preserve with advantage
10 himself and feed as companion food
20 cotton seed meal with the very best
possible result. II is easier TO make and
preserve silage than TO make and cure
hay as everyone who has had experience
along this line knows Minimizing the
consumption of silags and increasing the
consumption OF hay is like carrying
coal TO New Castle"
The use OF mixed concentrates means
that large amounts OF grain as a rule
must be purchased in other sections.
though of course there are now a few
places in the south where a small sur
plus of corn and oats might be available
for the maintenance OF dairy cattle.
Moreover. as the use Of silage is min
fuized. the consumption of hay or other
roughage must be incTea sed and the utili-
cation of mixed concentrates advanced.
the cost of the ration fed increased with
lessened profits TO the owner and with
out advantage 10 the animals consuming
it. This experiment accOrds IN this
respect with my experience and Observa-
ton in feeding and handling dairy cat
tie in i've southern states for more than
two decades
YIELD OF MILK AND BUTTER BY
GROUPS.
You will observe that the cows in
group one made 6.s2s-s pounds Of milk.
In group two, 6.s20.7 pounds Of milk,
and in group three. 7.O7S.5 pounds Of
milk. Groups one and two ran neck
and neck in milk yield. Group three
had an advantage Of about PASS over
group one but made at so much great
er cost that IL really represented loss
and not a gain financially. There is
remarkable accord in these figures when
YOU consider that twelve animals with
their more or less varied individuality
were fed in these tests for period
of three months. The butter made by
the different groups was as follows:
Group one, 335-ss pounds; group two,
32T.s4 pounds. and group three Sil-l4
pounds. a result in remarkable accord
The sale price OF the milk was figured
at thirty cents per gallon and the butter
at thirty cents per pound OF course
these prices are much below those OBJ
fainable in the average city market for
milk and butter Of good quality No
tice that the milk produced by group
one at thirty cents per gallon would
have brought S23s.24. by group two,
s23T.s2. and by group three Sz46-5e- the
butter from group one would have
brought S1O0.Ts; group two, $685., and
group three, SlOz-S0- The proht on the
milk from group one was Sls920; from
group two. slT6-T2. and from group three,
sIss.64 The difference in pEOfit in faV-
or OF the ration Of cotton seed meal and
sfIage fed group one as compared with
the ration fed group two was therefore
SI24S or sara per cow Between group
one and group three S20.5s, or 1914 per
COW. Permit me 10 call your attention
10 the fact that this virtually represents
the difference in profit which a dairyman
who has carefully selected his animals
might expect 10 secure per cow per year
from the use OF the ratiOns fed in this
test Given a herd OF forty cows the
owner would therefore make Sise-2O
more on the ration fed group one than
that fed group two and ss22.40 more on
the ration fed group one than that fed
group three
When a matter OF butter production IS
considered you will notice that the profit
obtained from group l was SSl-75, from
group S37.15. difference, therefore,
IN favor OF group l Of sI4.60 per COW
II estimated on a yearly basis The
profit on the sale of butter from group
was S224O or a difference in favor Of
group 1 OF S2s.32 per COW IL estimated
on yearly basis Multiply these figures
zsMlAlz.'l..zl-'. - - -. :