Show EFFICIENT FEEDING AND MANAGEMENT By Dr Gustav t Emeritus Professor Profesor of Animal Husbandry University of Wisconsin Protein Blocks For Cattle With labor At a on most moat farms and ranches self SEIf feeding reeding if at ell all practical onI is I very vory Inviting as 88 a time and la- la labor bor saver laver Let Lets Let's consider pro pro- protein protein tein concentrates for stock on dormant wi whiter ter pastures or on corn or sorghum field fields after picking With cattle or sheep som distant away fro t f dt 14 l f r he ad q u ar ten the us It I w t of salt mixes mae In generou J proportions proportion with a pre tein concen irate to toad t as an Inhibitor tor or goyer gover governor nor of eori corl Dr has proved effective In self feeding stock Usually about 25 percent salt for sheep and 35 percent salt for cattle In such sucha a mixture will control the Intake of the protein pro pro- protein tein concentrate to from 1 to 2 pounds daily for cattle and about one fifth pound daily for sheep Self feeders In such cases need be looked a after ter only peri peri- periodically perhaps once every several days or even once a week This permits great labor laborsaving laborsaving saving over daily hand feeding A more recent innovation is the use of called so-called protein blocks While they appear simi simi- similar lar to salt blocks they have pro pro- protein protein tein as the major component and Include 12 to 15 percent salt and ground limestone or other minerals also in goodly proportions The rate of consumption de- de depend pend ends on the hardness of the blocks locks and on the relatively high level of salt and other minerals It would seem that both the hardness of the blocks and corn com position would need to be a 1 for the different classes of farm animals The rather abrasive tongUes of cattle call for harder block formation than the less abrasive tongues of other livestock Protein blocks I have seen seemed to tom Ie m high in limestone or calcium containing up to 18 13 This means that If a cow hewed or licked only one pound ally of the tho block she would pound of the lime lime- tone or 23 grams of elemental This is already in ex- ex ellS en of the requirement accord accord- ng n to accepted feeding standards stand stand- ards ud and would be further proportionately it if she ate t 2 pounds d of the protein t rc ted lock to better te balance E her ra- ra ration tion To be sure cattle tolerate considerable calcium Trace minerals present another an- an another other problem What should be bethe bethe the level Again it comes downto down downto to the probable daily consumption tion consumption of the block by cattle Cobalt iodine and zinc are three of the trace minerals most prevalently needed by cat cat- cattle tle eF Fortunately r d n fe farm animals i ia have a wide tolerance f for each a of them if by chance they should be consumed two or three times in excess of re- re requirement requirement At any rate protein blocks ease the work load on farms and even permit the luxury of week end farming for those cattlemen who live in town Question What Is the best way of drying off a cow Answers Aner Many dairymen have stopped milking abruptly when a cow produced less than 20 pounds milk a day and if aU all quarters of the udder are sound Others dry off gradually milking once a day then once every other ther day Feed may have to be reduced for persistent meeker |