The Nevada County picayune., 1916-02-03
.ll. RAISING AND FEEDING THE
 DAIRY COW.
By II. F. Dyorachek, Professor of Ami maj Husbandry, University
 of Arkansas

By II E, Dyorachek, Professor of Ami
 maj Husbandry, University
 of Arkansas.
 A discussion Of feeding dairy cattle would be incomplete unless one com menced with the development of the dairy heifer since the success of the business depends largely on herd I'm. provement. This applies especially 10 Arkansas dairyiug in so much as the business IS still in its infancy, and the production per COW is still very low.
 The ability of the aeiger to produce at the pail is largely e matter of he reality and must not be under estimat- ed. but proper development has q great influence nevertheless II Is es- sential therefore that che heifer calf get good start and is kept growing rapidly Whole milk for at least three to four weeks Is the best By that time a little grain can be added and the change made 10 skim milk. This change should be gradual and extend over three to four weeks more. Eight to ten pounds of milk daily is a sui fiCient quantity for the average calf during the first few weeks This smoust can be gradually increased to twelve or fourteen pounds. It Is rarely advisable to feed more than that amount while the calf s on milk The sTain can be increased and by the time the calf is on skim milk 1t will be eating hay. Never use cotton seed meal for calves. Oats, corn chops. wheat bran, and a small quantity of oil meal are the best Pasture is ex. eellent when they are old enough to properly utilize tt. The object is to keep them growing st all times. It has been proven that generous feed ing Of hsifers even though they lay en fst is not sf all detrimental to their future usefulness. On the other hand such feeding means early matur- ity that IS. the heifer will make sur. noisnt growth during the shortest pos. sible time SO that she may be bred early. thereby shortening her non-pro- ductive life, and still make ample growth to insure a good sized COW when mature Make the ration com. posed largely of nutritious rOughages 90 as Co develop a strong and efficient digestive apparatus. and use grain m the ration Co force growth.
 The heifer and the mature COW as we'll should come Co the freshening period ln good flesh Surplus fst will be milked down readily fl the COW De | Of the desired dairy temperament Ten | to twelve days before freshening the grain ration should be reduced and laxative. cooling feeds such as silage roots. or smsn amounts of linseed meal CT wheat bran should be fed
 The value of the dairy COW on the farm lies primarily in her ability Co convert roushAGss commonly grown n abundance sn nost farms into s valu able. nutritious and readily market able product The selection of a "a tioa should therefore be made with . view ot ssllisirG such roaHhage~ 10 | the greatest possible sxtent Both during dsvslopnsat snd when produc- ing niis. the requirement Of protein | iu n40A " k8AA NMaf " AANN1 sr N marrow rstiea muss bs ased whsrs the protein can be supplied ~isA ls | sums ksys. it shoald be done. [. they are generally our cheapest soarc. of protein. EntFe protein eAn se saE piled through the ssain or esneen trstes Cotton seed meal is our eAsae est protein tn Arkansas as a rule Wheat bran and osts also sapply a deficiency in protein cutie chespiy | A general rule ts to feed one poaad of grain daily for every three ana a half to four pounds Of mils produces daily for cows giving milk of average butter fat content os one pound ai grain for every two ana a half Co three pounds of high testing miik < bas ter rule Is to feed a pound 0f grsiu daily for every pound of eatt.r fat . COW produces weekly This means that a COW giving 10 pounds Of butter tat per week should nave al least le pounds of grain daily. The individual needs of the COW must also be taken into considerations is Grain feeding
 In feeding daily animals the follow ing factors should be observed Feec q ration that will meet the needs si the animal. especially rem the stand point of protein requirement; make the ration bulky enough to sstisfy the capacity of the animal. make it pais able so that it is esten with Tei lsh, utilize as far as possible eiOp. grown on the farm. and by ali means zee to it that the ration Is not made too expensive. SO that a profit can O. made on the milk produced. The IlD ,ral use of lsgumss Will help in all la. l ytAaess.