The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-07-06

By George C. Humphrey, Animal
Husbandrys Department, Univer-
sity of Wisconsin.
1t win pay every tanner to keep
one or more cows if feed and care
can be provided to insure profitable
milk production.
Milk insures health and strength,
and reduces the cost of living. Us
ually surplus of butter, cream, or
milk can be sold at good prices.
Skinlmilk and buttermilk can be fed
to good advantage to chickens and
pigs. These facts give assurance
that one Or more cows will prove a
profitable investment.
Keep Only Good Cows
Don't be satisfied to buy or raise
anything but good dairy COWS. If
necessary, get some one to help make
: selections and purchases. Use only
purebred sires and if possible sires
which have proved their ability to
get calves of most excellent type. 1t
pays to cooperate in securing and
using good sires and in Kidding the
community of scrub sires.
Judge and build the herd of cows
largely on the basis of milk produc-
ton. The following amounts of
mill. are. practically necessary for
cows of the respective breeds TO
produce annually if market prices
for feeds eaten by cows are returned
cows OF. Jersey breeding, $500
pound. Ayrshire, Brown wiss, and
Guernsey breeding, 1000 pounds; and
Holstein breeding, 5000 pounds. Cows
which fail to make these amounts in
year after having had fair
chance should be sent to the butcher.
Greater productions should naturally
result from good feed and care, and
more profitable returns be secured
than simply market prices for feed
eaten.
Give Good Feed and Care
Don't try to keep more cows than
it is possible to feed and care for
well. One COW which is well fed
and we'll cared for will make more
milk and profit than two or more
cows poorly fed and poorly cared for.
A COW is we'll cared FOR when she
is treated like the invited guest or
friend one entertains and feeds in
his home. Rough treatment causes
a cow to dry off, or at least to reduce
greatly the amount of milk she
otherwise would produce. Protect
her from cold, chilling weather and
from storms and dampness, which
are other causes of low milk poduc-
tion.
Expensive Stable Unnecessary
"A warm and comfortable shed or
stable canseasily be provired for cows
without great expense. The stable
should be warm enough in the
coolest weather to prevent manure
from freezing. Keep it clean and
comfortably bedded, especially in
winter time. On farms with only a
small amount of cleared land, one
can store and use leaves, marsh hay,
or dry sawdust for winter bedding.
Have the stable arranged so that
sunlight will shine in and help to
warm it up in winter. Have just
enough openings at some place where
fresh air will be admitted and the
stale, foul air will go out without
too much draught or danger Of the
stable becoming too cold. This will
add much to the comfort and health
of cows, as well as to their milk flow.
1t will cost only a little thought and
consideration and be like lowering
the window from the top in sleep
ing room to insure health and best
rest.
Feed Cows Literally
It takes given amount of feed
to keep cow alive, and an addition
al amount of feed to produce milk
Cows which are fed in a manner to
produce milk ten or more months
in year make profitable use Of
grass pasture when in. season, and
of hay, silage, roots, grain, and mill
feeds when an abundance of grass
pasture is not available. Grass that
grows where the sum strikes the
ground is sweetest and produces the
most milk. Cows should be pastur-
ed where they can get an abundance
of such grass. On undeveloped
land it is important to cut, clear and
burn and brush and to sow grass seed
as soon as possible. Until one has
herd which is equivalent to five or
more mature COWS, it will not be
good economy to have for supplying
silage. Roots are most economical
to grow and feed dairy cows until