No. 6. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGllICUI/PURE. 



983 



HOW TO COMPUTE A RATION. 



The method of computing' a ration is very simple if one I^nows 

 liow to do it, but ''know how" is often verj- ditticult to learn. It 

 will be explained in as simple terms as possible in order that all 

 who read carefully may learn how. 



We will take a ration that contains 45 pounds ensilage, 5 pounds 

 clover hay and G pounds buckwheat middlings. By referring to the 

 table showing the composition of feeding stulTs, we find that these 

 three foods contain the following amounts of digestible matter: 



Ensilage — kernels glazed or more matured, 



Clover hay — red 



Buckwheat middlings 



27.9 

 S4.7 

 86. S 



1:16.5 

 1: 6.0 

 (1: 2.1) 



There is 72.1 per cent, of water in ensilage; to determine the 

 amount of dry matter we subtract the amount of water it contains 

 from 100, which leaves us 27.9 per cent, of dry matter. (See table.) 

 The dry matter is obtained in this way for clover hay and buck- 

 wheat middlings or any other food you may wish to compute the 

 analysis of. 



The figures in the above table give the amount of digestible food 

 in one pound of the different materials. In 45 pounds of ensilage 

 there would be 45 times as much; in 5 pounds of clover hay there 

 would be 5 times as much; and in 6 pounds of buckwdieat middlings 

 there would be 6 times as much digestible food as is given in the 

 table. Multiplying these figures by 45, 5 and 6 respectively, we 

 get the following: 



