The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-24
Heavy Mixers Drawing Con-
stantly on Skeletons for
Mineral Matter.
EXPERIMENTS PROVE
Phosphorus, Magnesium and
Calcium Must Be Supplied
in Food Form.


that during the winter time dairy cows
which are producing at all heavily draw
to a large extent on their skeletons for
such mineral matter as calcium mag
nesium and phosphorus. Such state
of affairs cannot long continue. Soon
er or later the cows must reduce their
milk flow in order to save their skcle-
tons.
There is enough mineral material
stored In the skeleton OF the average
COW to give a sufficient reserve sup
ply during the ordinary lactation per-
Tod. It Is essential, after n COW be-
comes dry. however, that she should
ne given an opportunity to restore the
lost reserve. There Is some indication
that cows on pasture, especially on
pastures rich in clovers. are able to
secure in readily available form the
mineral materials needed.
Glover and Alfalfa.
None OF the common farm grains are
A all rich in calcium. Corn is espe-
ciaily poor. Bran, cottonseed meal
and oil meal contain several times as
much calcium as the ordinary farm
grains, but, nevertheless, are not SO
very rich In 1t. Corn slower, oat straw
and timothy hay are all far richer in
calcium than the ordinary grain ration
fed to milk cows. But the only ma
terials available which are really rich
IN calcium are clover and alfalfa hay
TvN 81 \
stance. red clover hay contains about
II pounds of calcium. and alfalfa hay
about q pounds OF calcium. whereas
corn grain contains only about one
fourth of pound of calcium and corn
slower contains about four pounds
From the standpoint of calcium ii is
highly important to feed considerable
amounts of leguminous hay to milk
cows.
The question of phosphorus and
magnesium in the milk cows ration Is
not quite 80 important as calcium. 1t
Is worth while knowing. however, that
cottonseed meal and bran are the rich
est of our common foods in phos-
phOrns. Oil meal comes next. The re-
mainder of our common farm grains
and roughages contain only about one
half as much phosphorus as oil meal,
and about ne-fourth as much as cot
tonseed meal or bran. In magnesium,
cottonseed meal, bran and oil meal are
again the richest of our common feeds.
As to how far it is possible to pro-
tect the cows skeleton by feeding a
ration rich in leguminous hay, cotton
Iii
therefore rich in calcium. magnesium
and Phosphorus, it is impossible TO
say. The Ohio experiments rather in
dictate that even though a ration may
be rich in these bone building mate
rails, the cow Is not able to utilize them
At all fully when she is giving a full
flow OF milk. A COW on n fun flow
OF milk seems 10 digest the mineral
matter in her food very wastcfully,
preferring, apparently, TO draw on her
skeleton for 4 considerable part of the
mineral matter rather than on the
mineral matter in the food. There Is
room for some very careful studies
along this line, the present indications
being that il is very important 10 give
a COW a good rest between lactation
periods, making certain that sshc has
an opportunity while dry to store up
the maximum Of calcium, phosphorus
and magnesium by allowing her to
nasture on clover or alfalfa amounts of
1eguminous hay, together with such
grain feeds as cUttonsecd neal. oil
meal and bran This is simply from
the standpoint of storing ~ an album
dance Of reserve supply of mineral
matter The practical dairyman knows
that such policy is also worth while
from the standpoint Of storing up a
large reserve supply Of fat
eWaliace's Farmer.