The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1919-06-25
HAS MAXIMUM MILK
PRODUCING QUALITIES
Alfalfa Meal Has Some Nutritive
Value As Wheat Bran
Says Experts.

During last winter test was con-
Quoted by the University of Nebraska
to determine the comparative values
OF chopped alfalfa and bran In the
ration for dairy cows. In November
1915, six pair of dairy cows were
selected with reference to lactation
period, milk and butterfat produc-
ton, age, breeding and other fac
tors influencing their probable pro-
duction during the next so days
One COW from each pair was put into
Group A, and the other into Group
b. Their roughage all through The
test consisted of about 80 pounds of
corn silage and all the alfalfa hay
they could eat, or about 30 pounds
ON the average. During the first | 5
days Lot A were fed the standard
ration of four parts ground corn,
two parts bran and one ,part oil
meal. The cows in Lot B were fed
the same amount of grain, but in the
mixture of bran was replaced Ev
chopped alfalfa. At the end of Is
days the cows In Lot A were fed
the alfalfa mixture for another Is
days, the rations being alternated at
l5-day intervals until the so day
test was completed. The amount of
grain fed to COW was based on her
milk production, but the two cows in
each pair were fed the same amount
of grain.
The six cows In Lot A while on the
1ran mixtures during two 15-day per-
iods gave 9,972 pounds of milk con
tanning 1873 pounds of butterfat
and lost S2 pounds in weight. The
same six cows while on alfalfa mix
sure during two 15-day periods gave
i,o52 pounds of milk containing
1878 pounds OF butterfat, and gain
ed 2S9 pounds In weight. The six
'ows OF Lot b while on the bran
mixture during two i5-day periods
gave 4,244 pounds of milk contain
ing 1884 pounds of buterfat. and
gained 254 pounds in weight. This
same group of cows on the alfalfa
mixture during two 15-day periods
gave 1892 pounds of milk contain
ing 1886 pounds of buterfat, and
gained one pound in weight. Bring
ing together the results IRON boil
groups we find that the 12 cows
while eating the bran mixture dur
ing two 15-day periods produced
s,216.5 pounds of milk, containing
302.7 pounds of buterfat, and gained
222 pounds in weight. The same II
cows while on alfalfa mixture dur.
ing similar periods produced s,3S4
pounds of milk containing 302.2
pounds of buterfat, and gained 224
pounds In weight.
During this test with IL cows for
4 period of two months chopped al
falfa was substituted for bran in the
standard dairy rations of four parts
of ground corn, two parts of bran
and one part of oilmeal, with no ap-
preciable effects either favorable or
unfavorable. If these results arc
the same as will be found in gen
eral practice. then alfalfa fed in this
manner has the same feeding value
Is bran. Since the same amount of
butterfat and practically the same
amount of milk was produced from
the ration containing chopped alfalfa
as from the ration containing bran
the difference In the cost of pro-
duction is only the difference in the
cost of the bran and the alfalfa
valuing a good quality of chopped
alfalfa at s12 per ton and bran at
$40 the saving in cost of feed due TO
substituting chopped alfalfa for pran
amounted to 1860 per 100 pounds of
milk or IL per cent of the cost of
the food eaten by the cows in nro-
'ucing this milk.