Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 148, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1914 — DAIRY AND CREAMERY [ARTICLE]

DAIRY AND CREAMERY

ALFALFA VERSUS WILD HAY. ■> -■ i - 1 Experiments Prove Alfalfa Is a Better Milk Producer.

The experiment station of Nebraska has been an interesting series of experiments with dairy cow*. After they had been on dry feed for eight weeks and were in a normal feeding condition, twelve were selected and divided into two lots. In making the division, care was taken to have each lot about equal as to production of milk and butter fat. Lot one was put on a ration of alfalfa hay and lot two on wild hay. Besides all the hay they would eat up clean, each lot received sixteen pounds of beets dally and a small grain ration. One lot was fed alfalfa, and the other wild hay for six weeks and then changed about, lot one getting wild hay and lot two alfalfa for another period of six weeks. During the first period the lot fed on alfalfa produced 120.11 pounds of milk more than the lot fed on wild hay. In the second period there was a difference of 20.14 pounds in favor of the alfalfa. Lot one, when fed on alfalfa during the first six weeks, produced 5,082.40 pounds of milk and during the second period, when fed on wild hay, produced 4,760.20. Lot two, during the first period when fed on wild hay, produced 4,962.29 pounds and during the second period, when fed on alfalfa, 4,780.34 pounds. The decrease of milk and butter production In the second six weeks of the test was largely due to the natural shrinkage from advance In lactation, but It will be noticed that the shrinkage was greater when wild hay w&s fed. When lot two was changed from wild hay to alfalfa in the starting of the second six weeks, they were at a disadvantage, having been reduced In the first six weeks test. It is therefore safe to assume that alfalfa gave even better results than is shown In the figures. The quality of both alfalfa and wild hay was of the best. The animals In both lots had free access to water and salt during the experiment. It required a little more wild hay than alfalfa hay. This was due to the larger per cent, of waste In the former. In live weight the animals changed but slightly, showing a little Increase when on alfalfa. It Is evident from the results of the experiment that normally cured alfalfa hay is more conducive to milk and butter production than wild hay.—Field and Farm.