Pasture Notes.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 19, 23 July 1920, Page 13

Pasture Notes.

UNDERFEEDINC THE DAIRY COW IS UNPROFITABLE. Underfeeding a dairy cow is a waste of feed, effort and money invested ; yet this is one of the most common mistakes that dairymen make. Some dairymen are born poor feeders. Some acquire the practice of stinting their cows, thinking it is economy, while others have this misfortune thrust npon them because of the shortage and high prices of feed. But when we consider that dairying is primarily a matter of converting feed into milk the fallacy of such a course is apparent. To enable her to produce to full capacity a dairy cow shoukl have, not only a sufficient amount of feed, but a ration ments necessary to produce milk and butthat is plata-ble and containing the eleterfat. There is less danger of loss in overfeeding a dairy cow than any other animal because one of the chief characteristics of the dairy cow of quality is to make use of all the feed given her. If conditions are such that immecbate r&turns are not possible she stores it up in the form of bodily strength and fat which will be accounted for in her next lactation period. This applies not only to the producing cow, but to the dry cow as well. If she is well-fed while dry and she begins her year's work in good condition that extra feed will show up on the cream check. Underfed, inproverished cows are always unprofitable. The less nninFer of cows kept to produce a given amount of milk, the greater the profit there will be for the owner. In other words, why keep two cows when the same amount of feed given to one will produce as much as both. By proper feedhig two cows can be kept in one hide. This is illustrated by a two years' record of a herd that changed owners at the end of the first year. The herd consisted of nine cows which produced 1,409 pounds of butterf at the first year. The second year they produced 2,717 pounds of fat — the same cows, but a different owner. The records do not show the difference in profits, but without doubt an increased production brought increased profits and greater satisfaction to the owner.

MILKING SHED. If possible, a dry level piece of ground with sufficient elevation to provide fall ior drainage should be chosen. Should it bs necessary to build the shed on a slope it is best to have fall from the back of the shed to the yard, but abrupt slopes should be avoided if possible. Where the slope is from the shed to thc yard it is best to excavate the shed-site to a firm bottom. Fillings ar.e liable to sink and crack the concrete floor. A drain must be provided at the foot of fue bank formed by the excavation, to carry off snrface and storm water and prevent it running ti) rough the shed. Where the slope is in the opposite direction — that is, from the yard to the shed — a gutter will be re- . quired along the front of the building, othorwise the dirt from the yard will work ciown into the shed, especially if the yard

is not concreted. The practice of discharging draina-ge into a crcek has several objeciionable features. It is a waste of valuable manure, and, further it will c ntaminate the water, which is probably ■bcuig used by some one lower down. The v.ater-supply of many, dairy factories is drav.n from open streams, sc that a serious position might easily arise from this cause. A liquid-manure tank of concrete, or porta-ble one on a sledge, is much beiter. An adequate and permanent water-sup-ply is an absolute necessity in a dairy, and consequently this point must be considered in choosing a site. Where a gravitation supply is available it can be piped to the site which has the most advantages in other resjaects, but where the supply depends on pumping its source is of first im- I portance. Defects in other respects can usually be got over, though it may cost a littles more money, but a defective watersupply is a never-ending cause of expense ari d annoyance. A shed with a poor supply of water is usually a dirty oue, and the milk received from it is consequently defective. A rain-water supply is seldom satisfactory, as it usually gives out just when it is most needed. Well-water is best, on account of its suitability for cooling milk and cream, but, failing that, a running stream is a good substitute. In icyin.g out the building the shed should be placed so that the prevailing wind will come from the back, or at an angle over the far corner of the separatorrcom. This will blow any smell from the shed or engine-exhaust away from the separalor-room.