Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1911 — Winter Months on the Farm [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Winter Months on the Farm

How to Impmoe Them 2

Feeding for Milk

Keeping the Dairy Held Up to the Maximum Production in Cold Weather ,

By PROF. G. C. HUMPHREY Wisconsin College of Agriculture

! ft Is easy to make cows give an ‘abundant flow of milk In spring and bummer when pastures are luxuriant and the days warm, but In the severe winter months the greatest skill of the feeder Is demanded to keep up the production of the dairy herd. By buying plenty of expensive feeds it is possible to do this, but that removes the profits and. the problem is, how to get a large production of milk from an economical system of feeding. Many dairymen make a great mistake in not keeping enough grain and roughage to carry their herds through the winter. Instead they sell grain and roughage in large amounts and as a result find themselves handicapped for feed before spring pasture is available. Unless a man grows enormous crops, this side of farm product in its original form not only robs the soil of fertility but also Is a false |eoonomy,~ for the reason that In late winter the farmer has to buy feed at high prices when the supply is scarce or has to sell his cattle because of lack of feed for them. Much wiser is the dairy farmer, who fills his feed bins and his silo or his root cellar and feeds their contents to his herd during the' winter. He markets his produce in the form of milk and besides realizing a good profit from it' also has the use of the manure from the herd to return to his fields: A money value Is realized from the grains and also a fertilizing

Value in that the mauurial residues tof these feeds is returned to the soil. The golden maxim of the dairy farmer ishould be “Produce as much feed as [possible on the farm. Feed the grains land market them as milk and meat, at Ithe same time making use of the tmanure as fertilizer.” Feed According to Production. Each farmer should keep the production and expenses of every cow In Shis herd and should Bupply feed to the cow in proportion to her production and capacity. An excellent rule used in the Wisconsin College of AgIrfcultnre herd is to “feed as many [pounds of grain dally as the animal brodnees pounds of butter fat during the week.” Roughage should be supplied in amounts which the cow will clean up thoroughly, j Com still remains the most valuable winter feed grown in the United States. It can be best fed as silage ha in this form the dairy herd relish It best and there is the least waste: Silage which is to the cow what canned vegetables are to the human raoe, is greatly relished by the dairy herd on account of ns succulence. It should he fed after milking where fears are entertained that it will give an unpleasant flavor to the milk. Silage la rich in carbohydrates and low In protein and should be supplemented by olover hay or some similar leguminous hay as clover, alfalfa, pea or 'vetch hay In order to provide sufficient protein. Where silage is not available It Is advisable to grow root crops as mangels, turnips and rutabagas and use them as part of the ration. These roots can he grown cheaply and can be substituted for a 'part of the grain in the dairy cow’s 'ration, being especially relished on account of their succulence. Even with silage they furnish variety and are valuable. Alfalfa is very palatable and valuable as a feed on account ’Of its large protein content. It Is an excellent food, both for growth and milk elaboration. A very cheap ration for cattle oonslsts of corn silage and alfalfa. System of Winter Feeding. During the winter the dairy herd ‘at the Wisconsin College of Agriculture receives per head dally 20 to 40 pounds of corn silage according to the capacity of the animals, t to 9 pounds mixed hay, and as many pounds of grain daily as the cow produces ipounds of butter tat per week. The

grain ration consists of wheat bran 3 parts, oats 3 parts, corn meal 2 parts, and distillers’ grains 2 parts. Where the cow requires variation In her teed small amounts of dried brewers grains ctr oil meal are used occsr' slonally. Prof. W. A. Henry speaks as fellows regarding these feeds; “Wheat bran is especially valuable due to its; laxative properties. It furnishes hulk and plenty of protein and ash so essential in milk formation. The combination of bran and corn meal is not excelled as a dairy feed. The bulk of the oat though carrying little nutriment renders this grain a feed of' light character which is easily digestible. Oats contain a higher pro-' portion of digestible protein than corn or wheat. This grain in itself is a) well-balanced ration. Corn meal is a { heavy, rich feed and should always bei lightened or extended by the use or bran, shorts, oil meal or some other* feed of light character.” Feeding experiments prove that dried distillers’ grains are more valuable than oats as a feed for the dairy herd. Gows are fond of brewers grains and their use Influences a good milk flow. Because of the sloppy character of wet brewers grains they should be supplemented by some dry feed in the winter ration. Oil meal is a very healthful feed and brings the animals Into good oon-t dltlon, with pliable skins and oily

sleek coats. It has a very beneficial effect, upon the digestive tract but should not be fed In large quantities due to its concentrated character. The nutritive ratio of a given ration depends upon the character of the feeds which it contains with reference to their protein, carbohydrate and fat content. Some feeds are deficient In protein and such feeds, therefore must be supplemented with feeds rich in protein substances in order that the animals may be supplied with the proper hutrientß for nourishing the body and for the production of milk, beef, wool, etc. An investigation of problems connected with the feeding of the Wisconsin College of Agriculture dairy herd, which has been conducted during the past nine years, furnishes additional evidenoe with regard to the proper protein supply of rations for dairy cows on Wisconsin farms and in other northwestern states. This investigation and practical feeding experience in this country have shown that a nutritive ration of 1:6 or even 1:7, which is wider than that of 1:6.4 reoommended by the German investigators, can be used successfully. The teachings of many carefully planned and conducted experiments and the evperience of dairy farmers whp have paid special attention to the question of the relative economy of the different kinds of feeds under their particular conditions Indicate that a medium wide nutritive ratio is, in general, to be preferred under conditions of dairying in the northwest. Medium Protein Rations Best. This investigation mentioned above showed conclusively that the medium protein rations were more economical and produced better results than the high protein rations. On the average there was a gain in the net profit in favor of medium protein rations amounting to nearly 18 per oent. The significance of this result lies In the fact that the medium protein rations were composed largely of farm-grown feeds, supplemented by mill feeds and small amounts of the more expensive high protein feeds. This Investigation leads to the conclusion that Wisconsin dairy farmers and others similarly situated will d 6 well to teed their oows rations of medium protein contents which as a general rule will have relatively wide nutritive ratios; about I:7^

Careful mixing of feeds suited to the individual needs of each cow is the secret of successful feeding for milk. This feed car makes the mixing of rations an easy matter.