UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA CHAMPAIGN AGRICULTURE Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/feedingformilkbuOOIIoy Circulating -1 Uf? A ; NT A£ ric iiilturai Li^rarr st ation. 1890 mtms ”yo Pluam MISSISSIPPI Agricultural Experiment Station, BULLETIN NO. 13. FEEDING FOR MILK ® BUTTER. E. R. LLOYD, Agriculturist. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, MISS, SEPTEMBER 25th, 1890. OFFICERS OF THE STATION TRUSTEES. \ . His Excellency J. M. STONE, Ex-Officio President. Hon. H. M. STREET, Meridian. Hon. J. Z. GEORGE Carrollton. n; Hon. J. F. McCORMICK, Heidelburg. Dr. GEO. H. PEETS, Woodville. Hon. J. R. CAMERON, Canton. Hon. W. B. MONTGOMERY, . . . . Starkville. ^SvMaj. T. C. DOCKERY, Love’s Station. ^ Hon. A. F. FOX, West Point. v ; Maj. W. H. MORGAN... Sheppardstown. GOVERNING BOARD. Gen. S. D. LEE Prest. A. k M. College. Hon. W. B. MONTGOMERY, Local Trustee A. & M. College. S. M. TRACY, Director. WORKING FORCE. S. M. TRACY, M..S. v W. L. McGEE, M. S E. R. LLOYD, M. S V J. H. CONNELL, B. S. ... J H. E. WEED. M. S A. B. McKAY, B. S. - G. C. CREELMAN, B. S. A ^sW. L. HUTCHINSON, B. S. L. G. PATTERSON, J. M. WHITE, M. S Director. Assistant Director. Agriculturist. . . . . Special Work in Agriculture. Horticulturist and Entomologist. . . . Special Work in Horticulture. . V eterinarian. Chemist. Chemist. Meteorologist. R. C. KING, B. S Treasurer. The bulletins of the Station are sent free of charge, to all persons in this State who apply for them. FEEDING FOR MILK AND BUTTER. &0 1 /vKc'% f? ov .3 Ou November 24th, IS*!), sixty cows were put into the Station barn for the purpose of making a series of tests to determine the most economical food for the production of milk and butter. The herd was divided into six lots containing ten cows each, of which seven were common “natives” purchased in the immediate neighborhood, two were low-grade Jerseys and one a grade Devon belonging to the College. Each cow was given all the hay she would eat, and as much grain as was thought safe. The barns containing the hay which had been stored for winter feeding were destroyed by fire in September and October, and the “mixed hay” referred to was cut during the latter part of October and November in uncultivated fields. It had been touched by frost and contained a consider- able amount of asters, broom-sedge, iron-weed and other almost worthless materials, though about three-fourths of it was Japan clover (Lespedem striata J, with a small amount of Chicken-corn (Sorghum mlgare). In estimating the expenses of the work, this hay is valued at seven dollars per ton, Bermuda hay at ten dollars, cotton seed at nine dollars, cottonseed meal at twenty dollars, and corn meal at fifty cents per bushel (twenty dollars and eighty-five cents per ton). The test was continued twelve weeks and the general results were as follows : £ -5Z5 S ® CDo 2 $ 0 1 "5 0 0 0 FEED . Gal’ns Milk. It of Feed . f W . fD \>*t < . pounds Butter. aw • fD 1 ^ 1st Lot . Bermuda Hay and Cotton Seed $ 1 62.32 795.01 56.8(51 756.90 cts . 7 W Q rrQ a r» cts. 15.70 15.62 •id. Lot . Mixed Hay and Cotton Seed / .0 ooy 4 0 339.40 3d Lot Bermuda Hay and Cotton Seed Meal 1 123. 78 1058.04 11.7 418.50 26 83 4th Lot . Mixed Hay and Cotton Seed Meal 108. 99| 957.01 121 62 848.28| 103. 91 [ 802.51| 11.5 14 si 419.98 007 LU1 23.62 5th Lot . . . . . Bermuda Hay and Corn Meal 6th Lot . Mixed Hay and Corn Meal 12. o| . ooj 280.20; 37 . 3 1 33.65 577.485217 75| 11.1* 2115.2(5 25.46 As will be seen in the table above, the best results were from hot 2, which was fed with mixed hay and cotton seed ; this lot 4 FEEDING FOE MILK AND BUTTEK. giving milk at a cost ot 7.5 cents per gallon, and butter at a cost of 15.62 cents per pound. Lot 1, which was also fed with cotton seed, did very nearly as well. The most expensive milk and but- ter were from Lot 5, which was fed with Bermuda hay and corn meal, the milk costing 14.3 cents per gallon and the butter 37.31 cents per pound. The average cost of milk tor the six lots was 11.1 cents per gallon, and of butter 25.46 cents per pound. The results show very clearly that tor the winter production of both milk and butter, Lespedeza is a cheaper hay than is Ber- muda, and that cotton seed is much cheaper for the grain ration than either cottonseed meal or corn meal. Details of the work were as follows : In selecting the cows it was the aim to make each lot ot ten represent, in quality and breeding, the herd of the average farmer as nearly as was possible, , and the test was continued through the ordinary feeding season. The average weight of each lot at the beginning was 6968 pounds, ■ and none of the lots varied more than 475 pounds from that - weight. Care was taken that the cows in the different lots should ^ be, as nearly as was possible, the same length of time from calv- * ing. The food for each lot was weighed separately morning and j evening, and all waste reweighed in the morning ; and the cows charged with the amounts actually eaten. The milk from each , cow was weighed separately at each milking, and samples of the ; milk were taken for testing on Wednesday morning and evening - of each week. In taking these samples the milk of each lot was j thoroughly mixed, and one litre (about a quart) taken for the • test. These samples were kept at a temperature of 65° F. until t ripened, when they were churned and the total butter yield esti- mated from the yields of the samples. While this method of testing the quality of the milk does not show accurately the amount of butter fat which the butter may contain, it corres- ponds morq nearly with the actual results obtained with the churn than we have found to be the case with either the Short. Lactocrite, or other more chemically accurate methods. We used this test because we wished to ascertain the amount of but- ter which might be made under ordinary treatment, ratbei than the amount of fat in the milk, a variable per cent of which is unavailable for butter when separated by the usual dairy meth- ods. The butter test made in the seventh week of the trial va- -TABLE NO. £ Cost per pound . .8S235J ssssss x co ’•+ 50 ic cc i- r- ^ o iC 1 Number pounds . SSiSSS 8238S 38538 X 1 Ills Evening. CO © iC 05 cooct-t- CO SC CO CO CO CO CO CO JO CO »c CO °8 Morning 18.3 17.8 17.4 18.5 19.7 16 5 18.1 20 2 18.1 16.2 00 § Cost per gallon . . . .Olt-OIOlCXrHCO^OIOS X C5 Oh-L-l-l-XXXXt- s 00 Number gallons g§2S!S5SS25S sssassigssss 795. 011 Number pounds ^CCO'CO iC ccco liiiliiiiii 1 Value of Feed.... gSSS8S5gg£S8 ^ lC tC d tC tC kC tC tC 1C kC 1C 8 § Feed No. pounds eaten per week . Grain iiiieiiiin 1 Hay SlliiiiiiSi 1 OJCO^tOCOt-OOCsSl^^ S3S8S8 33&£2 TfiCiCiOO u — iiFcil ‘ iiilt' %£%%£ s§3£gs? 1 CO CD 05 t- CO b- ^ Ol t- ^ co co co o< X 32 1C CO CO 05 Cl 00 CO X GO rf 05 £2S2S§ ggSSS i X ■W^CXHCITJICCOO^ ic l'" 1 SSSSSSoS'SS^S 1 ss$s^fessss& §1 l ~l O^XOWHNOOOO CO | $§sllSsi§3§ 1 sssssssasss ^ 1C 1C 1C ic 1C ^ d »C to 1C 1C i 1! i - sgggggssssss 0 SSSSS53'ggSfe£88' S23§§S3§gg§ W O C-. ^ C r-I^O 0 0*0 iiiiiiiiifg "r§SgHiS5lS8l" <»S2=:232::3332 iiiiiiiiiig nismsir 7472 il23. 788459 51058. 04 1 11.7 : 20.3 1 15.2 418.50S6.83 8S£g£ 2£=S£§ ?,?,£$£ & ss sssssa $£?!83 8SS3S 85553 8 d I HH050 00 CO iC'rH rH CO oi CO jHJ CO rH CO 1C ic »c 5 X Cl CO H rH »C CO 05 t- 05 32 L L; 32 53 5® S § 2 2 18.7 sg’dssgssssris : 11.5 Vf suwmww&r © i ICOICICOICICOICO-IC 1 c nmmun 1 1 - ^ X X d d 05 05 05 05 © © 05 s § — iiiilliiiii 1 11111888118 M 1 O — < Ol 05 CO ^ 1C CO r- X 05 i-H r-i r -1 : V* K 8 35g§8 2§£8gg SS88S 25553 355222 sssssi 1 s la g 33833 5S£?i5 1 I - H O' 51 ri ^ tc 05 rH 05 S3SS8 32222 05 05 iC ^ rH ic siSSSsig 28282 8 i (Scoooh!«ooohhO£' CO 232332332332:7:323 °ssfefe sisals' ■ 8 ssssssegsss 1 coot.oticcooie iiiilliiiii I 22S.8S885SSS8 8 •asssssg'dsas S3 liliillllli 1 l- Illlllllsll § OlC0^iCCOt-X05SSS \ S5SSS IggSggg 2 SSS88 88SS?g g? §2522 S3 3 S3" "8 8288335 83ISS5 1 i-H r-» X X 05 05 05 1C X CO CO ! X tC X WXXh3 x 1 05 CO 05 ic CO r- CO CO 05 05 sssi o$§s saaas 1 05 s "f 05 CO C r-i i-i X 50 H< iO Cl ! o: ; 2 = ^32 75^822222 2 {2SSS2S8SSSS — 10 3 ss satssgsgg i O ic O ^ tc 1 C 1C *o ic ic IC ^ ! iliislssill 1 S3S8988S8&S 05 ^ d x o: d 05 oi d 05 d d 05 1 iiisililili |! swmsiMm 1 2 3 4 5 6 , ... 7 ^ 8 9 10 11 12 FEEDING FOR MILK AND BUTTER. 5 ried so widely from the tests made during the other eleven weeks that it is thought there must have been some error in the work, and in making the estimates in this bulletin the butter tests and yields for that week are omitted. For some time previous to beginning the tests, the cows had been kept in an ordinary pasture, and each had been fed live pounds of cotton seed meal daily. The total yield of the herd for the first week of the test was 318.17 gallons of milk, con- taining 150.01 pounds of butter; or one pound of butter for 16.96 pounds of milk. The average yield of milk during the ten weeks of tabulated tests was 474.34 gallons per week, containing 211.53 pounds of butter ; or one pound of butter for 19.73 pounds of milk. The cost of the butter made in the preliminary week was 35.4 cents per pound, while the average cost during the ten tab- ulated weeks was 25.46 cents per pound ; a difference of 30 per cent in favor of the more liberal ration. The first week of the test was regarded as preliminary only, and the record for that week is not included in any of the ta- bles. At the commencement of the test, each cow was given all the hay she would eat, which was about ten pounds daily. The cows fed on cotton seed were allowed twelve pounds daily, but it was found that few of them would eat so much, and although some of the seed were salted, and others heated, it was difficult to in- duce all of these cows to eat as many of the seed as was desired. Ten pounds of corn meal were allowed to each cow in' lots 5 and 6, and seven pounds of cotton seed meal to each cow in lots 3 and 4. The amount of cottomseed meal was gradually increased until ten pounds were given to each cow, but without producing a corresponding increase of either milk or butter. The weekly results with each lot were as shown in Table No. 2. An examination of this record will show a marked and unac- countable variation in the pounds of milk required to produce a pound of butter. The cows were milked by the same persons, in regular order, at the same hours daily, and all possible care was taken that the work of each day should be like that of every other day. At no time during the tests did the mercury fall as low as 32 F. Every one who has had experience in the testing DEEDING EUU MILK AND tJjUTTEK, 0 of milk for dairies has noted these daily differences, and a num- ber of Experiment Stations have done a considerable amount of work to ascertain their causes, but with very contradictory re- sults. A very constant difference was observed in the butter content of the milk from the morning and the evening milkings, which was probably due to the effects of light and exercise. The milk- ing was done between 5.30 and 7 o’clock in the morning, and be- tween 3.30 and 5 o’clock in the evening, thus making the inter- vals between the milkings fifteen and nine hours. At nine o’clock each morning the cows were turned from the barn into an open lot where they had an abundant supply of water and room for exercise, and where they were allowed to remain until 2 o’clock in the afternoon, when they were placed in their stalls. Of the morning milk 18.1 pounds were required to produce a pound of butter, while of the evening milk, only 13.5 pounds were needed. In a further study of this matter two cows were used during August and September, 1890, in making a series of special tests of the effect of time of day of milkings and number of hours between milkings. During the first week they were milked at 7 A. M. and 0 P. M., during the second week at 6 A. M. and 7 P. M., and the third week at 6 A. M. and 6 P. M. All of the milking was done by the same man, and the two days follow- ing each change in hours were not included in the record. The amounts oi milk required to produce a pound of butter from the different milkings were as follows : TIME. A. M. P. M. A. M. P. M. A. M. P. M. POUNDS. for 13 11 12 all 13 hours since last milkiu O' 23.60 n “ “ “ “ 16.71 n “ “ “ “ 24.95 13 U U u a 19.52 12 “ “ “ 24.75 12 a u a u 24.40 ,18.59 22.05 .21.56 ,21.14 .23.77 .22.17 Although these results show considerable irregularity, they FEEDING FOB MILK AND BUTTEK. seem to indicate that day and night influence the amount of but- ter fat much more than does the number of hours between milk- ings. The effects of each ingredient of the ration, tabulated without regard to the effects of the other parts of the ration, are shown in the following table : FEED. Pounds Eaten. Gallons Milk. Cost Per Gallon Pounds Butter. iCost' Per Pound. Lots 2, 4. 6. . Mixed Hay 00 $ CO 2516.42 10 7 1039.64 23.6 Lots 1 , 3, 5. . . Bermuda Hay 27506 2701.29 11 4 1075.62 26.0 Lots 5, 6 Corn Meal 150661650.79 13 6 577.86 35.5 T.ntf) S 4- Cotton Seed Meal In 11 H /fUn On 11.5 838 48 25.2 f.oha 1 9 P.nt.f mi Seed _ . 14190 J 1552.01 j 7.7 698.92 15.5 From this it is seen that milk and butter from cows which had the mixed hay cost less than that from the cows fed on Ber- muda, and that for the grain part of the ration cotton seed was much cheaper than was either corn or cotton seed meal. The use of raw cotton seed for feeding milch cows is often objected to on account of the flavor which such feed is supposed to im- part to the butter. In this case one third of the cows were fed with raw seed, and the milk from the whole herd was put to- gether before being taken to the College dairy. For several seasons the uniform price of the butter from this dairy has been thirty cents per pound during the winter months. The price has been the same during the present season, the dairy was over- run with orders, and not a single complaint was received in re- gard to flavor or quality of the butter; though had the entire output of the dairy been from cows fed exclusively on raw cot- ton seed, the case might have been different. With cotton seed at anywhere near its present price ($6.07 per ton, Sept. 20, 1890), or even nine dollars, its price in 1889, it will certainly produce cheaper butter than will any other grain ration obtainable here, though we do not advise the feeding of a full ration of the raw seed when it is desired to make a fine quality of butter. The proportion of raw seed which can be fed without injury to the 8 FEEDING FOB MILK AND BUTTEK. . * quality of the butter product is a question which is still unset - winter 1111 ^ ^ reC6ive ° Ur atfcention during the coming CONCLUSIONS. From the work so far accomplished, it appears I. That for the production of milk a ration composed of Les- pedeza hay and cotton seed is the most economical. II. That cotton seed is more economical than cotton seed meal, as a grain ration. hay 11 rhat LeSpedeza is more ec °nomical than Bermuda IV. That corn meal is too expensive for use in this State. V. That the ration which will produce mil* at the least cost is also the most economical ration for butter; if no considera- tion be given to the quality of the latter ( \