The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1916-01-20
HE TELLS HOW TO
IMPROVE DAIRYINC


spector, after an examination of
Whatcom County dairies, published
in the American-Re the follow
ing report which should be of in
terest to the district:
Whatcom county, which is the
largest dairy county in the state, has
about 1900 dairy farms, on which
there are about 1880 COWS. These
dairies range in size from the four
cow dairy to the large plants of the
Royal Dairy company and Wilson,
Nobles-Barr company, with over
100 head each. The main dairy
belt follows the bottom lands of The
Nooksack very closely. Lynden is
the dairy center of the county.
AS a general rule, from a a.sanitary
standpoint conditions are good, and
the dairy products such as butter,
cheese and condensed milk are of
high quality.
BREEDING
There is sill great room for i'm
provement among the dairy herds
along the lines of breeding. The
average milk production per COW is
about 4,500 pounds per year. Fig
ured on AN average butter fat basis
OF per cent, this would be 1SO
pounds butter f;.... A cow produc-
ing 180 pounds butter fat barely
pays for her feed, yet there are
LuL 1reds of just such cows in III,
county, and the owEcrs continue tt
milk the,a day aftcr day, in an al
tempt to make a profit from them.
There arc too Eany scrub sires IL
this county. No one with herd OF
any size can afford to keep a scrul
sire at the head of his herd. The
sire is more than half the herd and
his influence remain1 long after he
H. dead. If a dGiryman feels that lie
cannot afford to own pure bred
sire he can get several neighbors 20
go in with him ON the purchase OF
a good animal. This is comm0nit!
breeding in its simplest form, and
IL an economical way for the small
dairyman to avail himself of the
services of good sire. Good breed
ing and. the grading UP of nero
are absolutely essential to advance
nent in the GARY business.
The popularity of the Holste1n
and Jersey bre Us seem to be about
equal, with the Guernseys rapiol!
becoming CHE of tho popular breeds.
rs The breed is matter of small
importance and depends on the own
eI's taste. Good cows of any breed
are monev makers.
FEEDING
The question of feeding, especially
during the past few months, has
been a serious problem. The price
OF dairy products products will not
advance much if any above the pres
ent prices, and profits in the dar!
business in the future will be gov
erned largely by cheaper feeding.
Soilage and silage should and
will play an important part IN
cheaper feeding of the dairv herd.
There are approximately 100 silos
in the county with many more plan
ned for next year. In this s'cticr
where mangels and roots, which
are a good substitute for silage, can
be grown very easily, it is not prob
able that a silo is profitable for
herd of less than eight cows, but
every dairyman with over cighl
cows cannot afford not to have 6
silo. Succulent food is necessary
in good feeding and roots and silage
furnish this very cheaply. Good
feeding is cheap feeding.
There is a great variety of crops
used in this county for ensilage,
corn seems to be the favorite, and a
large number of good yields were
had during the past year. 10 tons
OF silage per acre from corn was
about the average yield. Minnesota
No. 13 seemed to be the variety ol
corn more generally used. Glover,
oats. oats and peas, oats and veteh
and even Canadian thistles gave
good results in the silos.
Kale is a good feed but where
the herd is larger the labor involved
Is an itcrl TO be considered and the
silo probably can be used to better
advantage.
soiling. either complete soiling or
the supplementing of pastures with
green feed is being more generally
used than ever before. and should
be used to much larger extent.
Land worth $500 to $500 per acre II
too valuable to pasture. Under
good conditions only one COW can
be pastured to an acre. while with
soiling crops three to four toWf
can be kept very easily.
Glover seems to be the most pop
ular soiling crop. great lhah.
dairymen are sowing yetch and
wheat or vetch and oats for eari!
snrine feeding. By the time this IL
used the clover will be ready ano
can be fed until fall. One OF the
largest dairies in the county ala no,
nasture an acre last summer pu'
fed silage and green clover.
Every year a great deal OF money
COOS east of the mountains Tor al
faIfa Glover hay approaches aifaif'
very closely in feeding vaiue' ant