The Dairy CowSuccess in dairy farming depends largely upon the proper feeding of stock. There are two questions that the dairy farmer should always ask himself: Am I feeding as cheaply as I can? and, Am I feeding the best rations for milk and butter production? Of course cows can be kept alive and in fairly good milk flow on many different kinds of food, but in feeding, as in everything else, there is an ideal to be sought.
What, then, is an ideal ration for a dairy cow? Before trying to
answer this question the word ration needs to be explained. By ration is meant a sufficient quantity
of food to support properly an animal for one day. If the animal is to have a proper ration, we must bear in
mind what the animal needs in order to be best nourished. To get material for muscle, for blood, for milk,
and for some other things, the animal needs, in the first place, food that contains protein. To keep warm and
fat, the animal must, in the second place, have food containing carbohydrates and fats. These foods must be
mixed in right proportions.
With these facts in mind we are prepared for an answer to the question, What is an ideal ration? First, it is a ration that, without waste, furnishes both in weight and bulk of dry matter a sufficient amount of digestible, nutritious food. Second, it is a ration that is comparatively cheap. Third, it is a ration in which the milk-forming food (protein) is rightly proportioned to the heat-making and fat-making food (carbohydrates and fat). Any ration in which this proportion is neglected is badly balanced. Now test one or two commonly used rations by these rules. Would a ration of cotton-seed meal and cotton-seed hulls be a model ration? No. Such a ration, since the seeds are grown at home, would be cheap enough. However, it is badly balanced, for it is too rich in protein; hence it is a wasteful ration. Would a ration of corn meal and corn stover be a desirable ration? This, too, since the corn is home-grown, would be cheap for the farmer; but, like the other, it is badly balanced, for it contains too much carbohydrate food and is therefore a wasteful ration. A badly balanced ration does harm in two ways: first, the milk flow of the cow is lessened by such a ration; second, the cow does not profitably use the food that she eats. The following table gives an excellent dairy ration for the farmer
who has a silo. If he does not have a silo, some other food can be used in place of the ensilage. The table also
shows what each food contains. As you grow older, it will pay you to study such tables most carefully.
[2] Alfalfa or clover hay may take the place of cowpea hay.
1. If you are not following a balanced ration, feed each day several different kinds of food. In this way you will be least likely to waste food. 2. Feed at regular hours. Cows, like people, thrive best when their lives are orderly. 3. Milk at regular hours. 4. Brush the udder carefully with a moist cloth before you begin to milk. Cleanliness in handling makes the milk keep longer. 5. Always milk in buckets or cups that have been scalded since the last using. The hot water kills the bacteria that collect in the dents or cracks of the utensil. 6. Never let the milk pail remain in the stable. Milk rapidly absorbs impurities. These spoil the flavor and cause the milk to sour. 7. Never scold or strike the cow. She is a nervous animal, and rough usage checks the milk flow.
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