The Spectator., 1916-01-28

tie. (5) Hog Raising. (0 Growing Horses ana Mules. @ Sheep and Goat Raising, (S) Stock Farm Management. 'Ii. RAISING AND FEEDING THE
 DAIRY COW.
 By H. E. Dvorachek, Professor of Ani
 mai 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 dairying in so much as the business is still in its infancy, and the production per COW is still very low.
 The ability of the heifer to produce at the pail is largely a matter of he. redity and must not be under estimat. ed. but proper development has great influence nevertheless. It is 'es- sential therefore that the 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 little grain can be added and the change made to skim milk. This change should be gradual and extend over three to four weeks more Eight to ten pounds of milk daily A . sui fcient quantity for the average calf during the first few weeks. This amount can be gradually increased to twelve or fourteen pounds. It is rarely advisable to feed more than that amount while the calf is on milk The grain can be increased and by the time the calf is on skim milk it will bs eating hay. Never use cotton seed meal for calves. Oats, corn chops. wheat bran. and . small quantity of oil meal are the best Pasture is e1- cellent when they are old enough to properly utilize it. The object is to keep them growing at all times. It has been proven that generous feed ing of heifers even though they lay on fat is not at all detrimental to their future usefulness. On the other hand such feeding means early matur. ity; that is, the heifer will make sur. fcient 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 . good sized COW when mature. Make the ration com. posed largely of nutritious roughages so as to develop strong and efiicient digestive apparatus. and use grain in the ration to force growth.
 The heifer and the mature COW ss well should come to the freshening period in good flesh. Surplus fat will be milked down readily if 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 small amounts of linseed meal or wheat bran should be fed.
 The value of the dairy COW on the farm lies primarily in her ability to convert roughages commonly grown in abundance on most farms into valu able, nutritious and readily market able product The selection of a ra. tion should therefore be made with view oI utilizing such roughages 10 the greatest possible extent Both during development and when produc- ing milk. the requirement. of protein is high 90 that what is known as . narrow ration must be used. Where the protein oan be supplied with le gums hays, 1t should be done, As they are generally our cheapest source of protein. Extra protein can be sup piled through the grain or cencon trates. Cotton seed meal Is our cheap est protein in Arkansas as rule Wheat bran and oats also supply . deficiency in protein quite cheaply.
 A general rule Is to feed one pound of grain daily for every three and half to four pounds of milk produced daily for cows giving milk of average butter fat content, or one pound oi grain for every two and half to three pounds of high testing milk. A bet ter rule is to feed a pound of grain daily for every pound of butter fat a COW produces weekly This means that . COW giving 10 pounds of butter fat per week should nave at least lG pounds of grain daily. The individual needs of the COW must also be taken into consideration in grain feeding
 In feeding daily animals the follow. ing factors should be observed. Feed . ration that will meet the needs d the animal. especially from the stand point of protein requirement.: make the ration bulky enough to satisfy the capacity of the animal. make 1t paia. table so that 1t is eaten with . rel ish. utilize a far as possible crops grown on the farm. and by all means see to t that the ration is not made too expensive, so that . pront can be made on the milk produced. The ID eral use of legumss wtl AalD in an inr