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Accession No. i 4- / O |
4, 2 "j.y J /Y It K^
NEW HAMPSHIRE
AGRICULTURAL
EXPERIMENT STATION,
HANOVER, N. H.,
BULLETIN NO. 2.
FEEDING EXPERIMENTS
CTTJIsrE, 1888.
The prime obiect in planning the feeding experiments re
corded in this Bulletin was to determine as far as possible the
actual feeding value of the ensilage produced from the different
varieties of corn described in Bulletin No. i, and incidentally
to note the cost of a quart of milk or a pound of butter with the
various rations used.
The animals experimented on were a mixed herd of young
and mature cows in various stages of lactation, from fresh in milk
to six months after parturition. Plalf of the herd had been
bought from farmers and were native cows, there were four heif-
ers with their first calves, and the" remainder were thoroughbred
Shorthorns. Taking all together they were a fair lot of cows,
weighing at beginning of experiment an average of 948^
pounds.
The kinds of fodder and grain used were corn fodder or
stover, bean vines, mixed hay containing a large proportion of
alsike and red clover, millet cut when seed was fully formed,
mixed grain consisting of ninety pounds of northern corn
ground together with the cob, and twenty-five pounds of oats,
gluten meal from the Chicago Glucose Works, buckwheat
ground with hulls not separated, and clear corn meal ground
from northern corn.
Lack of means and help prevented the analysis of part of
the materials used, but the best average results of analyses of
other years was taken as a guide to- the composition of the ra-
tions used. The ensilage was analyzed, giving the following
results, as taken from Bulletin No. i :
?,
to
t3
u
Ash contain'd
T-l
V
ii5
(A
c 0
U
B
MS
1^
43
[lOS-
phoric
aci
0
«
<
2;-
w
fcn
<
Oh
Oh
Southern,
75.40
24.90
2.36
14-58
0.58
5-95
1-13
.0269
.0917
Northern Field,
72.40
27.60
2.65
17.17
1.30
4-79
I 69
Sanford,
77.20
22.80
2. II
13-85
1.08
4.81
•93
Pride of the North,
70-45
29-55
3-25
16. go
1-59
6.04
■1-77
.08S8
.0342
Samples taken :
Dec. 7, from silo, Sanford,
69.76
30.24
3-09
18.82
..65
5-32
1.36
-0556
.1171
Dec. 15, " Southern,
78.8
21.2
2.04
10.54
I 37
5.89
1-33
.0484
•'O93
1886, Northern Field Corn,
70-55
29.45
2.65
18.84
.90
6.00
I. OS
The northern field corn ensilasre was not analyzed after it
was put in the silo, but from the analyses of last year I have
placed in the table figures that will not vary much from the true
analysis
The cost per ton as harvested was as follows :*
Southern corn, $2.21, shrinkage in silo 16.5%
Sanford, 2.48 " " 5.5%
Northern field, 2.40 " " 23.%
The shrinkage of the Northern field corn is excessive, part-
ly due to freezing to side of silo, and partly to a defective bot-
tom of material left over from last year's filling : as nearly as
eould be estimated these accidental losses would reduce the act-
ual shrinkage to 209^-.
The actual cost then per ton as fed out would be as fol-
lows : Southern, $2.64; Sanford, $2.62 ; Northern, $3.00.
The price per ton for grains as figured from the market
price of last winter was :
Corn and oats (mixed grain), $26.00 per ton.
Gluten meal, 26.00 "
Corn and cob meal, 20 00 "
Buckwheat, 20.00 "
Corn fodder and bean vines, 5.00 "
Mixed hay, 8.0c "
Millet, 5.00 "
I have based the price of hay on the market value here in
the barn, choice hay selling for $9.00, but this being the first
year's crop was of less value on account of the old stubble
which it contained. The corn fodder, millet and bean vines I
have rated at $5.00, which is slightly more than they would sell
for but is very close to their actual feeding value as compared
with hay at the above mentioned price. With these figures as
a basis we are in position to determine the cost of milk and
butter with our own herd and under our own conditions, and
also to note how a change of food affects the cost of the prod-
uct.
The silo was opened in November and the whole herd
were accustomed to the ensilage before the experiments were
started.
*See method of determining cost, Bulletin No. i, p. 3-5.
4
Dec. 6th the herd was put on the followuig rations per
head: Sanford ensilage, 50 lbs.: mixed hay (largely clover),
5 lbs.; bean vines, 5 lbs.; mixed grain, i}{ lbs.
The ration was the same as had been fed for some time
previous, and was continued until the 12th, when the Sanford
ensilage was all fed, and the next in order was Southern corn.
In each case the corn was cut when the silo was filled.
Dec. 12, the ration was modified by substituting 50 pounds
of the Southern in place of the 50 pounds of Sanford ensilage.
No o'her part of the ration was changed, hence any considera-
ble change must be due to a difi^erence in the feeding value of
the two kinds of ensilage. After feeding this ration for seven
days it was decided to increase the grain ration and according-
ly from the 19th to the 26th four pounds of mixed grain was
fed to each animal instead of the i}£ pounds previously fed.
From the 26th to January 8th this ration was still further en-
riched by the addition of two pounds of ground buckwheat,
and from Jan. 9-13 the grain ration consisted of two pounds of
clear corn and cob (no oats being mixed with these) and three
pounds of gluten meal. At this point the Southern ensilage was
used up, and the Northern field corn came next. This was put
in whole and was full' of well matured ears which had kept per-
fectly and were as bright as when put in.
The milk of ten of the cows was weighed and recorded
morning" and night as was the total milk for the herd, and in the
following table I have arranged the average daily product of ■ •
each of these ten as well as the total for the herd for periods of
seven days, and in the same table is shown the daily ration per "■
cow and its cost as well as the amount of milk required to make
a pound of butter, and also the cost of a quart of milk and a
pound of butter.
I have given the cost per quart of milk for the best cow and ■
for the poorest; also the average cost for the ten cows whose^'
milk was weighed daily, and the average cost of the total -prodi- '■
uct. It must be remembered that this last is affected by the
fact that several or the cows had been l6ng in milk, and conse^'n-
quently the cost per quart was higher than would. haVe been the' in ■
cas£ with many winter herds, but taken all together the results •'•'.•: =
. would represent a very fair yearly average for th'e erVtirie'riiirn-'«'j •
5 '""'''■ ""' ■'
ber. These results may therefore be taken as representative
figures for cows under ordinary conditions.
In the cuts given I have represented the results contained
in Table A in such a way that it is possible to see at a glance
the leading features of the results therein recorded. A word
in explanation of cuts i and 2 may be necessary. The first
column shows the number of the cow and corresponds with the
first column in Table A. The second column shows the scale
of pounds and from this it is possible to determine the average
daily product of any cow for any period. The figures from one
to twenty-one across the top show the periods and correspond
with the top line of figures in Table A. The curved lines run-
ning across the cut show the average product of milk for each
cow and for the whole herd. The dotted lines running parallel
to columns one and two represent the periods and are of use in
determining how much milk was given at any definite time.
For example suppose we wish to know how much milk cow No.
17 gave daily during the 8th period. Follow the curved line
marked 17 in first column out to the point where it crosses the
dotted line representing Period 8 (this point I have marked a).
Now this point is opposite 7.4 in column second, showing that
No. 17 during Period 8 averaged 7.4 lbs of milk daily. Any
other yield for any period may be determined in the same way.
Taken as a whole the curved lines by their upward or down-
ward variation indicate respectively an increase or a decrease
of daily milk product. Hence a general upward variation
would indicate that for some reason, most probably a change of
food, the cows were giving more milk. A gradual downward
tendency might indicate a natural shrinkage as time elapsed.
But a sudden downward variation would most probably show
a less efficient ration. With these points in mind a study of
Cut I and Table A may show something of value in feeding for
milk.
Commencing with the first period there is a substantial and
very uniform shrinkage, as shown not only by the individual
averages (Cut i. Sec. i and 2) but also by the total yield. Sec.
3. This shrinkage, amounting to from five to twenty per cent,
can only be traced to one cause, namely, the substitution of fifty
pounds of Southern corn ensilage for fifty pounds of Sanford
ensilage. So general and so large a falli^ig off cannot be at-
6
Cost of daily ration per
head.
Daily Ration.
>
" s
C 01
3.
Cost of milk,
per quart.
-1 -1 ?i W) f» O
Grain.
Dry fodder.
Ensil.
now2
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:? 5 " X
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Dec. 1887,
I fr=- II.
!^ i2-i8.
19-25.
26 to Jan.
I, 1888.
2-8.
9-13-
14-22.
23-29.
30 to
Feb.
6-12.
13-19.
■».NMMM •H4k^4k.MM
20-26.
M (^ C^ ^
w P-" 27 to
c^ N I March 4.
"O 4». M On M
5-11.
'^OJ OnM "-i 04*-in4^ >-> Ml I2~l8.
■vi b-ik. o*^b ONbt^wi M <
I en O O cx> o ;^ 00 c
pp*.<>p"^N M Mvop 19-25.
ON^O -h *>• M M N^k-^ MW1
M M OnO P*^ MC>Jt*» OOM p" -^
ono*^*^ m b ononw^UojI Apnl i.
t O i-n O 00U» i
4^ M On M M O^:^ ui OJ \0 M
2-8.
4k> <0 00 O^
8 "'
9-15.
OM** a^ HI .^ v4 4^ pv*. p OJ 16—22.
ON ON b^wt M b ^ w ♦■ -i^ bo
O e.J en i
^ M .^ Ov^ v4 4h- 00 M VI
23-29.
30 to
I May 6.
Cut 1
tributed to accidental causes, and as the nature of the food was
the same, there being no radical change, one succulent food
being exchanged for another equally succulent, it cannot be said
that the digestive prgans were in any way overtaxed. Neither
was the food less palatable for it was perfectly preserved and
greedily eaten. There is no escape from the conclusion that
the Southern corn ensilage was less valuable in the feeding
barn as its analysis shows it to have been in the iaborator}*
The next step was to increase the grain ration by feeding
four pounds of mixed grain instead of i^. Looking at our
curved lines in Cut i ixom. period two to three it is found that in
four of the individual records a small shrinkage still manifests
itself. In five cases there is a small increase in product while
the total milk, Sec. 3, remai s almost constant, there being but
7-10 of a pound increase daily on the milk of the entire herd.
There is reason for believing that this ration, had it been fed
at the commencement of Period 2, would have kept up the flow
or at least would have come very near to it, but from the bot-
tom of Table A it is seen that t-he ration for the third period
cost fifteen cents daily for each cow while for Period i it cost
but 11^ cents.
During the _/b?/rM/^r/<?^ a still further addition was made
of two pounds of ground buckwheat, increasing the cost of the
ration to seventeen cents per head daily. The effect of this
was to increase the daily yield of eight of the cows, as shown
by the upward direction of the lines in the cut, one. No. 15, re-
maining stationary, while the total milk increased 3^%
Period five y^ -3.% \\V.^ four, except that six pounds of corn
fodder were fed in place of five pounds of bean vines, but as the
feeding value of the two is nearly identical this variation was
probably without effect. All of the cows, except No. 8, increas-
ed in quantity during this period, and by the indication of the
lines in the cut it appears that the increase was neaaly identical
with the previous period.
Period sixth. A radical change was made in the grain fed,
gluten meal three pounds and corn and ccb meal two pounds
being used, the ensilage and dry fcdder remaining the same.
The result was a decided increase, the total yield coming up to
and slightly surpassing the yield at the commencement of the
work. This closes the work with Southern ensilage, and gives
9
us data for determining the relative economy of the Sanford
and Southern varieties of corn. The first period is the closing
part of nearly a month of almost identical feeding, during which
the individual record was kept, but as the complete record of
total milk was not made the experiment is considered to have
commenced at the date indicated in Table A, and although the
figures for, the Sanford feeding appear for a short period they
are really the last seven of. a twenty-one days period, during
which time the averages were very close to those given.
TABLE B.
Period (7 days each), 12345 6
lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs
Milk produced, 1604.4. i434- i439- 1484. 1512.8 1620.
Cost of food, ^15.06 ^15.06 $19.95 $22.61 $23.00 $21.28
cts. cts. cts. cts. cts. cts.
Cost per qt. of milk, 2.02 2.27 2.98 3.27 3.25 2.83
Table B is intended to show the actual amount of milk
produced by the herd for each period, also the value of the food
consumed in producing the same and the cost of food per quart
of milk.
This table shows that on account of the change from San-
ford to Southern ensilage it became necessary to increase the
grain ration from ij^ lbs. of mixed grain, to six pounds of mix-
ed grain and buckwheat before the yield was restored to its for-
mer amount, and in so doing the cost of a quart of milk was in-
creased from 2.02 cents to 33^ cents. Or if we take the cost of
the milk required to make a pound of butter it is increased
from 23.7 cents to 30 cents, an increase of 26}^%.
During the sixth period the grain was changed, reducing
the cost of the daily ration i ys cents, but in no way decreasing
its efficiency. The result of this change was to produce milk
at 2.83 cents per quart, and butter at 26.9 cents, a cost still
^3/^% above the cost while the Sanford corn ensilage was
being fed. These figures show a most decided difference in fa-
vor of an ensilage produced from mature corn with a good pro-
portion of ears that were well past the boiling stage, or as is
commonly said "past the milk."
The next feeding was with Northern corn ensilage, stored
whole. Unfortunately an important step in the investigation
10
Avas omitted at this point which prevents a direct comparison of
the Southern corn ensilage and the Northern. There should
have been two or three periods of feeding and the same grain
ration as that used in Period 6. Instead of this the grain ra-
tion was reduced to a very small amount, i^ lbs of gluten and
corn and cob meal. With this reduction the yield fell off in a
few cases, but in the majority of the records it increased, reach-
a maximum during the seventh period in the total yield. The
new ration gave an increase of 13%. reducing the cost of a
quart of milk from 2.83 cents to 2.17 cents, thus nearly reach-
ing the level of the first period.
Period eighth shows a marked falling off in yield of milk in
all cases. The total for herd falls off 12%, the total for the
ten cows whose individual record was kept drops 11%. The
only change of food in this period was the substitution of two
pounds mixed corn and oats in place of the gluten and corn
mixture of Period 7, but as only i^ pounds of the latter had
been fed the two pounds would be fully equivalent, hence we
must look for some other cause for this sudden decrease. In
Cut I, Sec. 3, I have plotted a curve representing the average
•temperature for each period. This curve is made up from Ta-
'ble C.
TABLE C.
Period 123456 78 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Av. temp.
in degrees, 35 30 27 15 19 ii>^ o -i i8>^ 12 17 31 12 i8>^ 3i>^ 24 28
These are out door and not stable temperatures.
It was noticed that the temperature was not sufficiently va-
■riable to make any appreciable difference in-doors during the
first six periods, but during the 7th period there were two days
•of very cold weather followed by a few days of warm weather.
These two days brought down the average temperature but did
not affect the milk flow as the stable temperature was not great-
ly reduced, but in the eighth, a severe period of windy days, un-
usually low temperature, made the stables very cold. This con-
dition of affairs undoubtedly caused the falling off in product,
and therefore the food cannot be charged with being of less nu-
tritive value. During Periods 9 and 10 there was an increase
of milk, but only slight. From 10 to 15 there is a comparatively
iuniform falling off amounting to 2% per period.
1 1
The result of this was to slightly but constantly increase
the cost per quart of milk.
Period i6 marks a radical change of food and a sudden
falling ofif of milk flow, amounting to nearly 22%. The food
for this period was early cut herdsgrass hay, clover mixture, and
the same grain mixture as previously fed. So radical a change
from succulent food to dry fodder might naturally be expected
to cause a shrinkage out of proportion to the actual fall of feeding
value of fodder, but it will be noticed that although the cows
were fed all they would eat yet there was but 10)^ pounds eat-
en daily,v which, at the prices adopted for estimating values
makes the cheapest daily ration fed so far as actual cost is
concerned. The shrinkage was so great that financial consid-
erations induced us to change the ration at the end of a single
period back to the former ensilage ration, and by so doing the
yield was brought back by half the amount of the previous
shrinkage.
At this point the ensilage gave out and in its place a ra-
tion containing cured corn fodder was substituted, also a large
addition was made to the grain portion of the food. A sub
stantial increase of milk was the result.
TABLE D.
LIVE WEIGHT OF TEN COWS FOR TWKNTY-ONE PERIODS.
Period, 123456789 10 11
Weight, f;o49 91 19 9083 9003 9145 9157 9127 9006. 9101 9097 9221
Period, 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Weight, 9107 9154 (3069 91 19 8905 9280 9358 9254 9399
This shows a moderate increase in live weight throughout,
though in Period 8 the effect of the cold weather is indicated by
a shrinkage.
Cut 2 shows by .a curved line the daily yield per period of
the ten cows whose individual record was kept, and also by a!n-
other curve, the price per quart of milk. This last is important,
showing as it does the financial side of the whole work.
COST OF PRODUCING MILK.
Commencing at Period one we find the cost to be i .65
cents per quart. Changing onto Southern ensilage increases,
this to 1.86 cents, and in our efforts to restore the loss of yield
12
by feedingjmore meal we made milk at a cost of 2.47,2.70, 2.68
and 2.36 cents. The upward tendency of the curves in periods
3-5 show increased cost. Period 6 shows that a substitution of
.gluten meal instead of the grain previously fed had the effect of
materially reducing the cost. Period 7 marks a low cost and a
high yield. With the loss of yield in Period 8 we note an
increased cost, and then follows several periods of dimish-
ing yield and slowly increasing cost. Period 16 shows an
unusual circumstance ; the sudden falling off of milk would
•under most circumstances be attended by an increased cost per
■quart, but in this case both quantity and cost go down at the
13
same time. This is followed by a sharp increase both in quan-
tity and cost.
Taking all the results as they stand our ten cows produce
milk at the following average prices :
TABLE E.
Food.
Whole Herd.
Ten Cows.
*Best Cow.
Poorest Cow.
cts,
. per qt.
cts.
per qt.
cts.
per qt.
cts. per qt.
Sanford,
2.02
1.65
1.32
2.69
Southern Corn,
2.92
2.44
1-95
449
Northern Corn,
2.54
2.24
1.66
4.04
Hay,
2.79
2.28
1.20
4-73
Corn Fodder,
3-45
2.92
1. 81
5-35 .
*A£ter the 13th period a new cow, No. 4, came in and this reduced
individual cost of milk produced for "best cow."
G. H. WHITCHER,
Director.
the
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