HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bechtel, H. E. Articles by Thompson, W. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bechtel, H. E. Articles by Thompson, W. W.

Sorghum Feeds for Dairy Cattle. I. The Effects of Restricting Lactating Cows to Atlas Sorgo Rations¹

Department of Dairy Husbandry²

J. S. Hughes and W. J. Peterson

Department of Chemistry

W. W. Thompson

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station

ABSTRACT

Sorghums are widely used in dairy rations throughout the southwestern states. Their importance as a stabilizing influence on the agriculture in this region has increased since about 1930, primarily because of their drought-resistant nature. Thus, emergencies caused by hot, dry seasons—less favorable to the production of corn, alfalfa, and other standard crops—have encouraged the use of increasing proportions of sorghums in dairy rations. Field observations (26) showed that feeding restricted rations of this general character to dairy cattle is reflected in low milk yields, poor reproduction, and unthrifty-appearing animals.

While general field observations and the results of tests by various agricultural experiment stations show that sorghum feeds may be included in properly supplemented dairy rations with satisfactory results, little or no information is available on the nutrients actually contributed by these sorghum feeds. For this reason a long-time dairy feeding experiment was started at the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station to study the effects of restricting cattle to sorgo rations and to study the nutritive deficiencies of these rations by comparing them with similar feeds supplemented with various feedstuffs.

¹ Contribution No. 160, from the Department of Dairy Husbandry. Contribution No. 299, from the Department of Chemistry. Contribution No. 100, from the Department of Veterinary Medicine.

² The authors are indebted to H. W. Cave and W. H. Riddell for their assistance in planning this work, and for supervising management of the cows during the early months of the experiment.