268 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Ration 8. 



Or, cornstalks, 10 pounds; clover hay, 8 pounds; corn meal, 4 pounds; 

 wheat bran, 10 pounds, containing 



Dry matter - - - - - - 25 02 pounds. 



Protein ._..... 2.26 pounds. 



Carbohydrates _•_.•_»_ 13.23 pounds. 



Fat - - - - - - - -.61 pounds. 



Cost $0.10 



As far as indicated by the chemical composition of the feeding stuffs 

 and the mathematical calculations based thereon, the rations to be used 

 with feeding stuffs at the prices named will be made up of clover hay, 

 millet hay, silage, roots, cornstalks, corn meal, wheat bran and oats 

 and gluten meal. The wheat and timothy hay would be sold, and of 

 the feeding stuffs in the market wheat bran, gluten meal, malt sprouts, 

 lirseed meal, or cotton seed meal would be purchased, the choice depend- 

 ing on the amounts of the diff' itnt coarse fodders on hand. 



If the supply of clover hay was sufficient, bran would be the by-product 

 to be bought, but if it is necessary to feed up a considerable quantity 

 of cornstalks and millet hay, cotton seed meal, gluten meal or linseed 

 meal in the order named would be chosen because they furnish the 

 needed protein cheaply. Cotton seed meal cannot be fed in larger 

 amounts than 2 pounds per day per cow, a fact to be remembered in 

 calculating the .".mount of protein to be derived from it. 



But raticus eannot be built up ou mathematical rules alone. The 

 peculiarities of the different cows, the milk yield, the lapse of the 

 period of lactation must all be considered. The rules and methods here 

 given arejmt helps to the experienced feeder. They are not to take the 

 place of judgment and experience, but to aid them. Cattle feeding can- 

 not be relegated to che realm of applied mathematics nor can the tyro 

 succeed as a cow feeder by studying chemical formulae and rules of 

 computing rations. Given, however, a thoughtful and experienced feeder, 

 he can, by studying the composition of feeding -materials, learn how to 

 combine them to keep up the production of his herd at less cost and 

 by reducing the cost, increase the profit. 



THE M. A. C. STANDARD RATION, FOR DAIRY COWS. 



The records of the feeding and mil:- j.ields of the dairy herd at the 

 College may be studied in reference to the average amount of dry 

 matter, protein, carbohydrates and fat consumed per thousand pound 

 live weight per cow per day, and thus some light may be thrown on 

 the question of a star, lard ration for dairy cows suitable to Michigan 

 conditions. The College herd has been managed not differently from 

 other herds in the State except that the feed has been weighed as 

 has also been the milk yield. It must be remembered in considering 

 these records that to obtain them, it has been necessary to weigh all 

 the coarse fodder, all the grain, and in fact everything eaten by each 

 cow, to set down the dates of the birth of the calf, the weights of the 

 cow at weekly intervals, and the weights of each mess of milk and its 



