White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-03-25
THE DRY COW
BY ROY c. JONES
Extension Dairy Specialist State
College of Washington


Too many dairymen do not realize
the Importance of liberal feeding while
their COWS are not actually producing
milk. They sometimes think that
there is no income from the cow dur
ing this period and so they reduce the
feed to the lowest amount and poorest
kind on the farm.
Ten or twelY1 years ago, in one of
the Pacific Coast counties. the COM
mon question one dairyman asked an
other when they met, in the spring
of the year was, How many COWS do
you have in the lift?" BY this they
meant how many were SO weak that
they had to be helped up when they
lay down. 1t was common practice
to milk the COWS through the pasture
seasons and rough them over the win
ter on what they could pick and little
tide land hay. This condition does not
prevail now but there is still too
large a number who slimp on feed to
the dry cow.
During a normal lactation period of
10 months, good cow produces from
5000 to 10000 pounds or more of milk.
Careful experiments show that for the
first few months of lactation, the
stimulation for milk production is so
great that she cannot eat enough to
supply all the elements necessary to
produce the milk she does, and that
she takes these elements from her
own body fluids and tissues. This
bears out the observations of every
good dairyman when he says his COW
milks down or that he cannot keep her
in flesh when in full flow.
Later in lactation she reaches equi-
librium or a time when her outgo bal
ances her intake. Unless she has a
long dry period or shorter one with
liberal feeding, she has no opportunity
to build up her body to normal again
and store up reserve to draw on dur
ing her next milking period.
Common practice dictates that ten
month lactation is about as much as
we should ask. The COW needs two
months rest and liberal feeding in
order to prepare for the next calf.
1t is common saying with the good
Swiss dairymen, on the coast, that,
"a pound of grain while the COW is dry
is worth two pounds after she comes
fresh" They realize the Importance
of building up the body reserve.
The dry cow should have all the
good hay and silage or roots she can
eat during this period. In addition,
she should have fattening and con-
ditioning grain. The following mix
ture is recommended parts of bar
ley, or corn; part of oats; and part
of bran or mill run. To this add about
per cent linseed oil meal. Both bar
ley and corn can be used to make up
the 2 parts if desired and the price
admits it.
The barley, corn and oats are used
for their fattening properties, the mill
run or bran for it's mineral content and
the oil meal for it's conditioning eff.
fects as well as it's minerals.
The amount to feed will depend on
the condition Of the cow when she
goes dry. 1t will vary from to 10
pounds per day, or even more, in some
cases.
A week to ten days before the COW
is due to freshen, this grain should be
taken away and lighter ration fed
as mixture of equal parts oats and
bran with so to 1919 of oil meal.
Some good dairymen feed no grain
during the last week except warm bran
mashes. Roots are especially valuable
at this time and can be fed literally.
During the last few days before calv-
ing, and until the placental membranes
have been expelled, it is we'll to warm
the water the COW drinks. This will
tend to hasten the expulsion of the
membranes and act as a preventive
against milk fever.
Such system should bring the good
COW to the time of parturition in the
best of physical condition, with her
eliminating organs working well, and