Show FARM TOPICS BALANCED DIET IS BETTER FOR COWS rations cut down the milk production falls off by john A arey extension E ten 1 I on dairy D all S specialist north car carolina 1 state t at C college ode e service the old family cow has taken a lot of abuse in her time and kept on producing milk for her master but she can do a much better job when she gets enough of the right things to eat A good cow not only cuts down on the household food bill but she contributes much to the health and general well being of the family A cow has a huge stomach and a tremendous capacity for converting feed into milk on full feed she will use about half the nutrients in her feed to maintain her own bodyweight the rest she converts into milk and butterfat when her rations are cut down her milk production falls off she loses weight and she goes drier sooner than normal A cow will often give milk when she really needs to use the full amount of a scant feed supply to supply her own body in the course of a year an aver age size farm cow needs 18 bushels of corn 13 bushels of oats pounds of cottonseed meal two tons of hay and one to two acres of good pasture the hay should be of good quality and the pasturage should be a good growth of grasses or legumes winter pastures of rye and crimson clover or of wheat barley oats and crimson clover are good for supplementing the dry feed three or more different feeds say pounds of corn meal pounds of cottonseed meal and pounds of ground oats or wheat bran will make a good grain ration give a cow all the roughage she will eat and allow three quarts of grain per day for each gallon of milk she gives |