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The Influence of Calcium and Phosphorus in the Feed on the Milk Yield of Dairy Cows

Research Laboratories of the Dairy Division, Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

ABSTRACT

1. Feeding cows for several years according to the commonly accepted standards with little or no additional pasture, may result in their milk yield being reduced much below the optimum. The condition of reduced milk yield so brought about may be corrected by giving the animal a dry period of two months, and feeding during that period a ration containing legume hay and grain with a high phosphorus content and with three or four times the amount of protein required for maintenance, and two or three times the total nutriment. The milk yield in the subsequent lactation period may sometimes be doubled by this treatment.
   
2. In the case of cows of which the milk yield has been reduced by several years' standard feeding, a greatly increased yield can be brought about by feeding "alternated rations with phosphate" during the dry period. This is taken to mean that the ordinary rations are more likely to be deficient in one or both of the principal bone-building elements than in any other constituent.
   

In conclusion we wish to acknowledge the valuable services of Messrs. H. J. Nedrow, H. T. Converse, and W. E. Benscoter. Messrs. Nedrow and Converse were the herdsmen at the Belts-ville farm during the period when the experiments were carried out and supervised the feeding and care of the experimental animals. Mr. Benscoter was responsible for the feeding in a number of cases, and carried out this part of the work with unusual care and accuracy.