FEEDING THE DAIRY COW.

Otago Witness, Issue 3775, 20 July 1926, Page 12

FEEDING THE DAIRY COW.

In the selection of food for farm animals several distinct objects have to be kept in view. There is, in the first place, the maintenance diet, which meets the daily wants of the body; and there are others. These others depend upon the animal itself, and upon what it is intended for, and involve the use of such farm foodstuffs as contain n\ore or less (1) nitrogenous, (2) non-nitrogen-ous, and (3) mineral ingredients. We thus speak of nitrogenous foods, fatty foods, starchy or watery foods, as the case may be. Nor must flavour be overlooked. The ration for a dairy cow should be palatable, mildly laxative, sufficiently bulky, easily digestible, and correctly balanced in # chemical composition for the needs, of the individual cow; also it should not have any bad effects on the animal, and should be as cheap as is consistent with adequate quality and quantity. Although palatability cannot be assessed by chemical analysis, it is of fundamental importance. Roots, although often pulped or sliced, are probably more appetising to the cow if fed whole than if handled. If some new foodstuff is introduced into the ration it should be done gradually, and extremes avoided, as likely to cause digestive troubles. Cows yielding milk in quantity must eat and pass through their digestive systems large amounts of food, and the work should be made as easy as possible by providing food which is readily digested. For instance, it is suggested that the value of good hay far outweighs the best of the cereal straws. Indeed, the best of oaten straw, if included in the ration of a heavy milker, should only be deemed a “filler,” as there is not a great deal of nutritive value in the best of these bulky fodders. The value of all foods generally may be said to depend upon their percentages of digestible constituents and the starch equivalent, as distinct from the total percentages of protein, oil, and carbohydrates. The term “balanced ration” is usually used to indicate a ration containing the amount and proportions of protein, oil, and starchy matter which are most suitable for an animal in a particular condition. In other words, the feeding of the different nutritive ingredients will depend upon whether the cow is in milk, in calf, yielding one, two, or three gallons daily, or fattening. Then the mineral requirements of cows should be studied, more - particularly on lands where cows are being milked and there has been no fertilising 'of the acres with artificial manures. It is reasonable to suppose that during the lactation period • heavy milking cow will yield in her milk more lime, phosphates, and salt than she can assimilate from her food. One risks her future usefulness unless she is fed according to her bodily requirements. The dairy cow during her dry in-calf period , should not be neglected. Good grazing with some legume hay daily will provide all the lime required, And give the cow a chance to accumulate a reserve for the ensuing lactation period. A ration of straw and roots daily is too commonly deemed a “feast” for the hardworking dry in-calf cow. Indeed, many a good cow after a season’s work frequently has to hustle for a living somewhere “outback,” and never views a rfjtraw, much less a turnip, until they are well weathered in the spring of the year and are practically useless as a fodder. Finally, more thought should be given to the dairy cow’s probable condition if she is neglected during her resting period, as it is inevitable that if she “comes in” thin next milking season the leeweay has to be made up before she can yield milk to her maximum capacity.