Feeding for milk production 1910-style: Part II.

Relation of live weight to proper feeding

The live weight of a cow is a good index of whether the cow is being fed a proper amount or not, but good judgment must be used in regulating the ration by observing this condition. We must expect that a cow will lose weight in the first few weeks of her milking period, but after this period is past there is no reason why she need change much in weight for several months, and this is the period when the greater part of the milk production is secured. It will not mean, of course, that the animal should not be allowed to gain in weight during the latter end of the milking period. This is necessary on account of the development for the foetus, and since it is natural for the animal to carry some fat on her body at calving time.

It does mean, however, that in order to feed a herd of cows economically it will not do to feed them all the same quantity of grain, whether they are giving a gallon or four gallons a day and it means that when a cow in the middle of her lactation period is putting on weight she is being fed more than she needs and will give just as much milk if the feed is cut down somewhat. It also means that if a certain animal is losing in weight sufficient feed is not being given, and if the deficiency is not supplied it will not be long before the milk production will come down to correspond with the amount of feed available.

Feeding as individuals

In connection with this subject of the amount to feed cows it is only possible to feed a bunch of cows economically when they are fed as individuals, and not as a herd. A too common practice, even in the otherwise well conducted herds, is for all animals to be fed the same amount of grain, regardless of the time they have been in milk or the quantity of milk individual cows are producing. Such feeding always lacks economy, as the high producing cow does not get enough, and while she may milk very well for a short time, she soon comes down to a lower level, while the lighter producing cow usually gets too much and accumulates fat.

One of the difficult problems which confronts the practical feeder is how to adjust the quantity of feed to meet these individual requirements. It can be done fairly well even in the large herds by observing how much milk the cow is producing, and whether she is gaining or losing in body weight.

Amount of grain and roughness to feed

The cow being adapted by nature for consuming bulky feeds does not feel satisfied unless she has sufficient bulk to the ration given at all times. An animal that is fed too much grain in proportion to the amount of roughness may seem hungry, while she really has a sufficient amount of nutrients, but so concentrated that it does not have sufficient bulk. The cow should be fed practically all the roughness she will eat up clean, and the difference in rations fed to different animals should be mostly in the grain. The following rules serve as a general guide in feeding:

1. Feed all the clean roughness they will eat at all times.

2. Feed one pound of grain per day for each pound of butter fat produced per week, or one pound grain daily for each three pounds of milk.

3. Feed all that the cows will take without gaining weight.

The rule regarding the amount of grain to feed per day to each cow applies only when good roughness, such as corn silage, clover, cowpeas or alfalfa hay is used.

The second part of the rule in regard to feeding one pound of grain for three pounds of milk would, not work out in all cases. For a heavy milking Holstein cow this gives a little too large a quantity of grain, and with a Jersey cow giving very rich milk it is a little too low. It applies best to cows producing milk of about average composition.

If the roughness be timothy hay or corn fodder considerable more grain must be fed in proportion to the amount of milk produced. The rule based upon the butter fat produced per week is the best, as it applies to any breed.

Reasons for feeding balanced rations 

The second statement regarding the summer conditions that are to be maintained throughout the year is that the animals are receiving a balanced ration. The ordinary pasture grasses, especially blue grass, when in the growing state, contain the proper proportion of nutrients to enable a dairy cow to produce the maximum amount of milk of which she is capable. The winter ration, on the other hand, is liable to have these nutrients out of proportion. This is one point wherein common practice falls far short of continuing the summer conditions throughout the winter. The feeding of a ration not properly balanced is one of the most common mistakes made on the average farm in the corn belt, on account of the usual abundance and cheapness of corn, corn fodder and timothy hay.

All good rations contain substances that serve two quite distinct purposes when taken into the body.

First: Certain substances known as protein which build up muscle, bone and hair, and also supply the material from which is made the curd of the milk. Protein is found in almost all food, but in especially large quantities in alfalfa, clover and cowpea hay, bran, cottonseed, linseed and gluten meal; also in nearly a pure form in lean meat, the white of an egg, and curd in milk. No other element can take the place of protein.

Second: Another class of substances supplies heat to keep the body warm, fat to be stored in the tissues as body fat or put into milk as butter fat, and, energy to keep up the function of the body.

This class is represented by two kinds of material, different in character, but serving largely the same purpose in the body called carbohydrates and fats. The carbohydrates are present in large quantities and in nearly all grains, such as corn, wheat and barley and in corn fodder and timothy hay in the form of starch. In other plants such as sorghum and sugar beets, it is found in the form of sugars. The fats are found in varying quantities in all common grains.

All properly balanced rations must contain protein, carbohydrates and fat, and no amount of carbohydrates or fat can take the place of protein in the body.

A cow secreting milk must produce substance in the milk of each of these classes. In 100 pounds of average milk we find about 3.3 pounds of protein in the form of casein (curd and albumen), five pounds of carbohydrates in the form of milk sugar and four pounds of fat in the form of butter fat. Since these three kinds of solids must be present in order to form milk, it is necessary to furnish them in the feed in sufficient quantities and in about the right proportion, so there will be no loss. When this is done, the ration is properly balanced. If a cow be supplied with sufficient material in her feed to produce 30 pounds of milk per day, but on account of lacking protein produces but 15 pounds, it is useless to further increase the fat-producing material and expect the flow of milk to be increased. The surplus fat in the feed will not be put into the milk and make it unusually rich. The results of numerous experiments carried on by various investigators show that as far as the practical feeder is concerned, the proportion of butter fat in cow's milk cannot be changed appreciably by the kind of feed given. The richness of a cow's milk is a natural characteristic.

Returns from liberal feeding and care in balancing the ration should be looked for in a larger yield of milk and not in richer milk. The quality or richness of milk is controlled by the selection of the individual animals and to a certain extent by the breed. The problem the feeder has before him constantly is how to best combine his feed to furnish the necessary food element in the right proportion and with the greatest degree of economy.

As an aid in properly balancing the rations, it is useful to divide our common feeds into two classes.

Class 1: Including those feed which contain a large amount of fat producing material (carbohydrates and fat), but which are notably deficient in protein, one of the essential substances required for producing milk and growth in young animals. In this class we have: corn, corn fodder, corn silage, timothy hay, oat straw, wheat straw, millet hay and sorghum hay.

Class 2: This class contains a much larger proportion of protein, the essential growth and milk producing elements, and smaller quantities of the fat making materials. It includes: Clover hay, alfalfa hay, cowpea hay, bran, oats, cottonseed meal, gluten meal, linseed meal and soybeans.

A properly balanced ration will include some of the feeds from each of these two lists.

Home grown balanced rations

One reason why the average farmer makes a mistake of feeding his cows rations that are not properly balanced is that it is easier, or he thinks it is, to grow feeds that are excessively rich in carbohydrates and lacking in protein. This comes about principally by the large amount of corn grown and used. Many Missouri farmers have corn fodder and timothy hay for roughness and practically nothing in the way of grain but corn. From such feeds it is impossible to make a ration that supplies the necessary nutrients to produce much milk. It is possible to make a fairly good ration using these feeds for roughness but it is only possible to do so by buying large quantities of mill feeds that are rich in protein. The thing for the farmer to do is to raise the feeds he requires on his own farm, as far as possible, and it is possible to produce practically all that is needed to make a balanced ration. The place to begin in considering the feeding of an animal always is with the roughness since the character of the roughness determines to a large extent the kind of grain it is advisable to feed.

The cheapest source of protein is in leguminous hays, including clover, alfalfa and cowpea hay. If an abundance of any one of these hays is on hand, the problem of making an economical balanced ration is very much simplified. The use of these hays makes it unnecessary to buy any large quantities of bran, oil meal or cottonseed meal for ordinary dairy cows, and makes it possible that the principal grain used be corn, which usually is our cheapest grain. Even cowpea or alfalfa hay alone, with corn for grain, makes a fairly good ration for an ordinary dairy cow, and such a ration could be substituted with good results for that of timothy hay and corn fodder. When hay is purchased, it is always best to purchase one of the kinds mentioned, as the price is about the same, or lower than that of timothy, which is far inferior as a milk producing food. If any hay is to be sold from the farm it should be timothy hay and not clover or cowpea hay.

What to feed with timothy hay and corn fodder

While the preceding states what the farmer should grow to feed the cow in milk many will read this who do not have silage on hand or even clover, cowpea or alfalfa hay. Many Missouri farmers have only corn fodder and timothy hay on hand and want to know what to feed with these until they can arrange to get the proper rations. In the first place, to get results in any way satisfactory in feeding timothy hay and corn fodder, it must be expected to feed grain liberally.

It is not possible to feed a good home-grown grain ration with such roughness. Mill feeds must be purchased and will pay well. The things to buy are those rich in protein, such as cottonseed meal, bran and linseed meal. It will pay if necessary to sell some of the corn to get some of these feeds. The addition of two pounds of cottonseed meal mixed with one pound of bran to the daily ration of each cow will add surprisingly to the milk produced.

Succulent feeds

The third summer condition, which we desire to continue throughout the winter, is that of a supply of succulent feed. By the term succulent feed is meant feed having that property possessed by green grass. Such feed has a value outside of the actual nutrients it contains on account of its favorable effect upon the digestion of the animal. There are two methods in use for supplying this succulent feed during the winter season. One is the use of root crops and the other is the use of silage. In some parts of the world the use of root crops is almost universal, and is the solution of the problem. In the U. S. the use of silage is far more practical than the use of root crops and for that reason it is recommended exclusively for this purpose.

The silo

There is no way by which the corn crop can be used to better advantage than by putting it in the silo. Probably more feeding value can be secured from an acre of corn utilized in this way than from an equal amount used for any other purpose. Silage is always relished and furnishes a part of the roughness in a cheap and palatable form. Silage is also growing in favor as a summer feed to supplement pastures. In feeding silage it must not be expected that it will serve as the only roughness. Hay should be fed in addition and the hay which naturally goes with corn silage is clover, cowpea or alfalfa hay. From 30 to 45 pounds a day is counted a reasonable feed of corn silage. It can be fed successfully, not only to cows producing milk, but also to young stock and in fact, almost all farm animals.

Buying concentrated feeds

It is quite a problem with dairymen when and in what quantities to buy bran, cottonseed meal, gluten meal, or linseed meal, and which one furnishes them the most value for the money. No rule can be made to cover these cases. The whole subject of feeding and composition of feeds must be well understood in order to work to the best advantage.

If timothy, millet, sorghum hay or corn fodder is the roughness to be used, and corn the chief grain on hand, it will pay to buy bran and cottonseed meal, even if some of the corn has to be sold. When cowpea, alfalfa or clover hay is used extensively the necessity of using these expensive feeds is largely done away with and only small quantities at most will be needed.

Linseed meal, cottonseed meal and the best grades of gluten meal now manufactured are of about equal feeding value for cows, pound for pound. This class contains the largest amount of protein of any of the common feeds and for that reason is the most valuable. Gluten feeds as now sold rank about midway between this group and bran in feeding value. Bran and oats rank close together in feeding value, the oats probably being a little more valuable, pound for pound.

Some suitable rations

The following rations are suggestions for the farmer rather than for the expert dairyman. They supply the necessary material to produce milk economically. If the cow will not give a good flow of milk in the early part of the milking period and when fed a liberal amount of one of these rations, it indicates she is not adapted by nature to be used as a dairy cow and should be disposed of. The amounts given are considered about right for the cow giving from 20 to 25 pounds of milk per day. For heavy milking cows these rations would have to be increased, especially in the grain, and for light milking cows the grain should be decreased. In making up these rations, it is designed that the COW be given all the roughness she will eat and sufficient amount of grain to furnish the proper amount of digestible material. It is not designed that these rations should be sufficient or the best adapted for cows of unusual dairy capacity or cows that are being fed for making records where a very maximum production is desired.

The figures given are per day. It is expected the grain ration will be mixed in quantities and the animals fed from the mixture.

Some good
dairy rations

Ration 1
Corn silage                   25 lbs.
Clover hay                    10 lbs.
Corn                          4 lbs.
Bran                          4 lbs.

Ration 2
Corn silage                   30 lbs.
Alfalfa or cowpea hay         10 lbs.
Corn                          6 lbs.
Bran                          2 lbs.

Ration 3
Clover hay                    20 lbs.
Corn                          4-5 lbs.
Bran or oats                  2-4 lbs.

Ration 4
Clover hay                    20 lbs.
Corn & cob meal               5-7 lbs.
Gluten or cottonseed meal     2 lbs.

Ration 5
Alfalfa or cowpea hay         10 lbs.
Corn fodder                   10 lbs.
Corn                          5-7 lbs.
Bran                          2 lbs.

Ration 6
Alfalfa or cowpea hay         15-20 lbs.
Corn                          8-10 lbs.

C.H. Eckles

Professor of Dairy Husbandry 

University of Missouri