Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-02-26
FEEDS AND FEEDING
FOR THE DAIRY COW.


Guernsey Breeders association, and
has consented to the use of the main
part of his argument in this publica
ton 1t is worth the careful reading
of every dairyman, no matter what
breed of stock he keeps.
During the last to decades, Wiscon-
sin has made remarkable progress in
improving the quality of her dairy
products. Twenty years ago these
products were not known in the
world markets. Now we are receiv-
ing the highest market price for our
products, especially Wisconsin cream
cry butter.
But when we examine the progress
we have made, we find little to be
proud of. In 1890 the average cow
produced $500 lbs. milk containing
1913 lbs. butterfat; at the present the
average COW is producing 1000 lbs.
milk and $50 lbs. fat, an increase of
only 1900 lbs. of milk and AZ lbs. of
fat and at the same time the dairy
output of Wisconsin is equal to more
than the gold mining of the U. S.
From a careful investigation we
find our common COWS are capable of
producing a much larger yield than
the average in the state, if they were
given a fair chance, or a square deal.
Some II years ago w. D. Hoard
made a census of the COWS of 100
herds and it represented approximate
~ 1000 COWS. He collected data in
regard to the yield III milk and butter
fat, the cost Of feed, etc. The average
yield from the 1000 COWS was $500
lbs. milk and 145 lbs, butterfat. In di
viding the COWS into two groups-put
ting the COWS that were owned by
men who read dairy literature in one
group, and the COWS owned by men
who did not read dairy literature i'll
another group it was found that the
cows owned by men of the first group
produced 4,442 lbs. of milk and 200
lbs. butterfat, while the COWS owned
by the second group only produced
2,668 lbs. milk and SO lbs. butterfat,
making a difference of 1,774 lbs.
milk and 102 lbs. fat. This | give you
to impress upon you that | think it
pays to read the farm paper and see
what the other fellow is doing.
The farmer that read dairy liter
allure received at that time $40 per
COW and the other farmer 500 there
being a loss of 500 for the lack Of
knowledge or care and feeding of the
animals.
You know as we'll as I, that farm
ers have not given as close study to
feeding problems as they should, for
two reasons: first, many of them do
not understand the term employed by
teachers; second, the information
given was not sufficiently definite and
practical to command the confidence
of the farmer. If l can help anyone
to simplify the rules for scientific
and practical feeding so that those
who wish may learn how to increase
the returns OF his cows, | will be
glad to do it.
The Glasses of Feeds.
All animal foods are divided into
two classes, namely, roughage and
concentrates. Roughage includes all
the coarse portions, such as hay, stow
en-, sil2ge. etc, and concentrates in
clude ali grains and mill feeds.
The composition of feeds is some
thing that must be understood, when
YOU know the why's and wherefors,
then YOU can go ahead In feeds
there are three groups of substances
which must be considered in formu-
li.ting 4 ration to secure the best re-
suits; these are protein, carbohyd-
rates, and fats.
Protein
Is the name Of group of mater
ials containing nitrogen, and are
sometimes called heterogeneous group,
in opposition to carbohydrates which
are non-nitrogenous. The function
OF protein is to furnish material for
the formation Of lean flesh, blood
tendons, nerves, hair, horn wool, the
casein and albumin of milk. For the
formations of these materials pro-
tein is absolutely necessary 1t is
important to remember that no sub
stance free from nitrogen can be
converted into protein or be used as
a substitute for protein. 1t is there
for necessary for an animal to re-
ceive certain amount of protein in
order to ia, intain existence, to grow,
or to produce milk.
Carbohydrates.
These are made up of several sub
stances usually divided into two
groups. ID nitrogen-free extracts. in
GLIDING starch, sugar, gums, ETC., and
~ crude fiber. Coarse fodder con
tains large amounts OF crude fiber, |
Whlle all grains and mill feeds con- !
tain little fiber but are high in starch |
and sugar Carbohydrates are either
stored in the body as fats or are
burned in the body for heat and ener-
gy.
This is much the same as carbo-
hydrates, and often designated either
extract. It includes the fats, wax,
and green coloring of plants. Fats
are either stored up in the body as
fat or burned for heat or energy. AS
a heat producer one pound of fat is
worth % lbs. carbohydrates. There
fore when you buy feed that is mark
ed 8 per ct. fat, multiply it by % and
YOU have the equivalent in carbohy-
drates.
Proportion of carbohydrates and
nrotein to be fed is the problem.