276 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



M. A. C. standard rations. 



1,030-pound cows 

 1,400-pound cows 

 Dry cows 



Average 

 weight. 



lbs. 



982.8 

 1,396.68 

 1,373.5 



The nutritive, ratio of the standard ration suggested for the thousand 

 pound cows is 1 : 7.1, that of the larger cows 1 : 7.21, and that of 

 the cows in the very latest months of the period of lactation is much 

 wider, being 1 : 8.53. 



The tables from which these feeding standards were derived, page 90, 

 conclusively demonstrate the limitations of the use of the feeding stand- 

 ards. They show that it is entirely wrong to assume as Wolff does 

 to set up a stated amount of dry matter and of protein as correct for 

 a cow of a given weight, or to graduate the amount of dry matter 

 and of protein, which a cow should receive, by her live weight alone. 

 One cow has a greater capacity to consume, digest, assimilate, and 

 economically utilize food than another of the same weight. Again, the 

 same cow requires a different amount of dry matter at one time than at 

 another. In the early months of the period of lactation, when her yield 

 is at the maximum, she requires a much larger amount of feed than later, 

 when the draft upon her body for milk constituents, is lessened by the 

 smaller yield. Take the case of Aida II, for instance. In January, 1896, 

 although weighing but 915 pounds, her daily yield of fat was 1.42 

 pounds. Her average daily ration for the month supplied 29.31 pounds 

 of dry matter per thousand pounds live weight, containing 2.56 pounds 

 of protein, 15.42 pounds of carbohydrates, and .97 pounds of fat, with 

 a nutritive ratio of 1 : 6.9. On this ration the cow continued her 

 maximum yield through the month, and at the same time made a gradual 

 gain in weight. The watchful eye of the feeder noted this fact, and 

 slightly reduced the amount of dry matter in the ration. This was 

 accomplished without changing the weight of the materials fed, but 

 by feeding silage with a much lower per cent of dry matter. The dry 

 matter fed per day to the cow was kept considerably above the stan- 

 dard to warrant the large yield of fat, during the five early months of 

 the period of lactation. 



Standing by her side was a mature Jersey cow. College Pogis, that 

 had a tendency to lay on fat. She was giving a large flow of milk and 

 was in January, 1895, in the fourth month of her milking period. Her 

 ration was below the standard recommended. Her weight remained 

 practically constant and her yield of fat gradually declined, as was to 

 be expected from the lapse of the period of lactation. During the next 

 winter her flow of milk and yield of fat daily was promising at the 

 outset, and she was given 25 to 26.5 pounds of dry matter per day, with 

 2.36 pounds of protein. Her daily yield of fat kept constant for the 

 three months of winter at 1.8 pounds or slightly more than i! pounds 

 of butter per day. The grain ration was kept up dining tin 1 summer, 



