Live Stock Breeders' Association. 203 



Clover Hay Cottonseed Meal 



Alfalfa Hay Gluten Meal 



Cowpea Hay Linseed Meal 



Bran Soy Beans 

 Oats 



A properly balanced ration will, therefore, include some of 

 the feeds from each of these two lists. 



Home Grown Balanced Rations — One reason why the average 

 farmer makes a mistake of feeding his cows rations that are not 

 properly balanced is that it is easier, or he thinks it is, to grow 

 feeds that are excessively rich in carbohydrates and lacking in pro- 

 tein, and comes about principally by the large amount of corn grown 

 and used. Many Missouri farmers have corn fodder and timothy 

 hay for roughness and practically nothing in the way of grain but 

 corn. From such a ration of feeds it is impossible to make a ration 

 that supplies the necessary nutrients for very heavy production of 

 milk. It is possible to make a fairly good ration using these feeds 

 for roughness, but it is only possible to do so by buying large quan- 

 tities of mill feeds that are rich in protein. The thing for the far- 

 mer to do is to raise the feeds he requires on his own farm, as far 

 as possible, and it is possible to produce practically all that is need- 

 ed to make a balanced ration. The place to begin in considering 

 the feeding of an animal always is with the roughness, since the 

 character of the roughness determines to a large extent the kind 

 of grain it is advisable to feed. 



The cheapest source of protein is in leguminous hays, includ- 

 ing clover, alfalfa and cow pea. If an abundance of any one of 

 these hays are on hand, the problem of making an economical bal- 

 anced ration is very much simplified. The use Of these hays makes 

 it unnecessary to buy any large quantities of bran, oil meal or cot- 

 tonseed meal for ordinary dairy cows, and makes it possible that 

 the principal grain used be corn, which usually is our cheapest 

 grain. Even cow pea or alfalfa hay alone, with corn for grain, 

 makes a fairly good ration for an ordinary dairy cow, and such a 

 ration could be substituted with good results for that of timothy 

 hay and corn fodder. When hay is purchased, it is always best to 

 purchase one of the kinds mentioned, as the price is about the same, 

 or lower than that of timothy, which is far inferior as a milk pro- 

 ducing food. If any hay is to be sold from the farm it should be 

 timothy hay and not clover or cowpea hay. 



