Computing Rations for Farm Animals 



1575 



and if no ration is made narrower than 1:4.5 except in the case of the 

 youngest animals, which are growing new tissue very rapidly, the ration 

 will be satisfactory. 



Variety in the ration. — All feeders of animals should provide variety 

 in the ration. Variety stimulates the animal's appetite. Better results 

 are obtained from a ration containing several foods than from a ration 

 limited in variety. If a ration for a dairy cow is made up from foods 

 derived from three different plants, it will ordinarily have sufficient variety 

 provided so that there are two different foods in the roughage and three 

 foods in the concentrated part of the ration. Other classes of animals 

 do not seem to need so much variety, although it is wise to supply it 

 with all classes. 



Suitability of the foods to the animal. — The foods in the ration should 

 be suited to the animal and to the purpose for which the animal is fed. 

 For example, wheat bran is not suitable for feeding hogs because of its 

 bulk; wheat middlings are much to be preferred. 



Palatability of the ration. — The ration should be palatable if the best 

 results in production are to be obtained. With dairy cows palatability 

 is easily secured by providing succulent food in the ration. The condi- 

 tion of the food has much to do with its palatability. No musty nor 

 damaged food should be fed to any animal. 



Cost of the ration. — Without doubt, this is the most important factor 

 to be considered by the farmer. However, the other factors must not 

 be sacrificed for cost in every case. A rough way, efficient in most cases, 

 to choose foods for the greatest economy in the ration is to calculate the 

 cost of one pound of total nutriment in the different foods available, 

 then to choose those that will yield total nutriment the cheapest — always 

 taking into consideration the six other factors that have just been explained. 



A ration for a dairy cow illustrating the above factors. — A ration is 

 desired for a cow weighing 1,000 pounds and yielding daily 30 pounds of 

 milk testing 3.7 per cent butter fat. According to Table 2, the ration 



TABLE 2. Feeding Standards 



(Based on Wolff-Lehmann and Haecker standards. For one day and 1 ,000 pounds 

 live weight) 



