Principles and Practice of Stock Feeding 27 



The protein calculates all right, but dry matter is nearly 20 tons and 

 digestible carbohydrates 6 tons short of what is needed to balance. Cast- 

 ing about for means to meet this condition the farmer finds that his oat straw 

 will be of use. It contains plenty of dry matter, but little digestible pro- 

 tein and plenty of digestible carbohydrates. He finds on reference to the 

 tables that his 7 tons of straw will furnish 12,700 pounds dry matter, 170 

 pounds of digestible protein, and 6,400 pounds of digestible carbohydrates, 

 leaving the ration still short in dry matter and carbohydrates and narrower 

 than standard. More oat straw, if purchasable, would fit in here. It might 

 bring $5.00 a ton ; 6£ tons may be bought containing 11,800 pounds of dry 

 matter, 160 pounds of digestible protein and 6000 pounds of digestible car- 

 bohydrates. This uses up the money and 50 cents in addition. 



Now to sum up. 



Dry Digestible Digestible Nutritive 



matter protein carbohydrates ratio 



15 tons clover hay 25,400 lbs. 2,100 lbs. 12,600 lbs. 



60 

 3 



9 



silage 31,600 " 1,400 " 21,200 



bran 6,200 " 840 " 3,200 



cottonseed meal 5,500 " 2,400 " 2,400 



linseed meal 3,600 " 1,300 " 1,700 



gluten meal • 5,300 " 1,920 " 2,800 



oat straw 24,500 " 330 " 12,400 



102,100 " 10,290 " 56,300 " 1:5.5 

 Lehmann (medium) stand- 

 ard, 4000 days 116,000 " 10,000 " 56,400 " 1:5.6 



The ration would be lacking in bulk but otherwise closely like the 

 standard chosen. The shortage in bulk is not serious. Indeed the Leh- 

 mann requirement for dry matter is much in excess of that of any other 

 standard and is somewhat difficult to attain. 



The ration as formulated has more protein than is needed by nearly 

 300 pounds. The question now rises whether so much grain feed is needed. 

 May not less cottonseed, linseed or gluten be bought and some money be 

 saved? One could save the most by lessening the linseed, but it would 

 probably be wiser to shorten on the other two. If 500 pounds each of cot- 

 tonseed and gluten meals be withdrawn $12.00 will be saved. The protein 

 would be reduced to 9,930 pounds, carbohydrates to 55,900 pounds, total dry 

 matter to 101,200 pounds, while the nutritive ratio would become 1:5.6. 

 The $11.50 ($12.00 less $0.50 excess expenditure on original calculation) 

 should buy sawdust equal or more than equal to the 7 tons oat straw in ab- 

 sorbing value for stable use. 



The outcome of the operation, so far as food is concerned, is as follows : 

 Without the outlay of an extra dollar, timothy hay and oats have been ex- 

 changed for clover hay, oat straw, bran, cottonseed, linseed and gluten 



