Would alfalfa hay, cut, say, from one-half to three inches in length be better than whole hay for hogs, cattle and horses, and if it is better, should it be fed wet or dry?

Cattle and horses do much better when fed chopped alfalfa hay than when fed whole hay.  They can eat the required amount in much less time and with less exertion.  For cattle and horses the hay should be cut about one inch long and fed dry.  There is no advantage in chopping alfalfa hay for hogs unless it is mixed with ground grain and made into slop. — L. P. Denny.

Storing Cut Alfalfa Hay.

We are planning on cutting our next season’s crop of alfalfa with a feed cutter and storing it in a barn for winter feeding.

The hay must, of course, be thoroughly cured, because of the great danger of heating in a tight mass.  A. Balfour says:  “I have been cutting alfalfa into a barn for wo seasons.  It is absolutely necessary to have the sides and floor tight, and it is easier to feed it if it is in a loft.  The hay is best stacked first, and must be thoroughly cured.”

Alfalfa Grinding.

Is the curing of alfalfa for grinding different from ordinary; has it to be chopped before grinding, and what is the cost of grinding?

Alfalfa hay should be cut when the very first blossoms commence to appear.  At this point the plant contains the greatest amount of protein; from that time on until seed time, the protein diminishes and fiber increases.  To make meal, hay should be well cured, have gone through the sweat, and should be dry, or as near dry as possible.  It mills easier when dry and makes a finer product.  It should be cured so as to retain the green color.  To grind it, it is not necessary to cut it before grinding, it mills better if ground just as it comes from the stack.  The cost of milling hay varies with the size of the machine, condition of hay, whether dry or damp, or whether tough or tender.  With larger plants of a capacity of four to five tons per hour, it costs about 45 cents a ton to put it in the sack, exclusive of the cost of sacks; and with smaller, it runs from that on up to $1 to $2 per ton.

Feeding Calves.

How soon can calves be weaned and not hinder their growth?  After weaning, what would you advise to feed them?

After the calf has once nursed, it should be taken away from its mother, but fed its mother’s milk for a few days, depending on the vigor of the calf.  Commence to add skim-milk after a week or ten days, adding a small amount at first and increasing it daily until the calf is on an entirely skim-milk diet.  The milk must be sweet, it must be as warm as its mother’s milk and the calf must not have too much of it.  Four quarts at a feed twice a day is sufficient for the average sized calf for the first month, then increase it accordingly.  Add a spoonful of ground flaxseed to each feed and teach the calf to eat a little grain as soon as possible.  Ground