state Dairy Association. 225 



An allowance of 40 pounds of silage is none too much for a cow 

 weighing 1,000 pounds, and in 40 pounds of silage there is 10.6 

 pounds of dry matter containing .53 pounds digestible protein, 5.6 

 pounds of carbohydrates and .28 pounds of digestible fat. An 

 animal of this size will consume in addition from five to ten pounds 

 of clover hay, consequently, we will suggest that seven pounds 

 of clover hay be added to our formula. In seven pounds of clover 

 hay there is 5.9 pounds of dry matter containing .48 pounds of di- 

 gestible protein, 2.50 pounds of digestible carbohydrates and .12 

 pounds of digestible fat. By adding the total amount of nutrients 

 in the silage and clover hay together we find that we have 16.5 

 pounds of dry matter containing 1.01 pounds of digestible protein, 

 8.11 pounds of digestible carbohydrates and .40 pounds of digesti- 

 ble fat. So far, our ration does not contain enough nutrients to 

 support the cow and make one pound of fat, or 25 pounds of 4 per 

 cent milk per day. The question may come to you, why not increase 

 the silage and the clover hay, until enough nutrients are supplied, 

 for these feeds are cheaper than milk stuff's. A cow cannot eat 

 enough of these feeds to produce the most economical flow of milk, 

 unless the prices of milk feeds are exceptionally high and the 

 price of butter fat comparatively low. Under such a condition it 

 might pay better not to feed any concentrates but feed all the silage 

 and clover hay the animal will consume without waste. She will 

 probably keep up in flow of milk for a short time by drawing from 

 her system the stored up energy that she created when dry, just 

 as the boiler with a pressure of 150 pounds of steam will run the 

 engine for a short time, without putting in coal enough to supply 

 the engine with all the steam that it will use to advantage. The 

 cow, like the engine, will adjust her work to the amount of latent 

 energy or feed that she is given. Therefore, under ordinary con- 

 ditions, some grain should be added to this ration. Experience 

 and tables which have been tabulated from the results of experi- 

 ments show that from seven to eight pounds of grain will have to 

 be added in order to supply the cow with ample nutrients for do- 

 ing her best work. What grains shall be added? In our silag(- 

 and clover hay there is 16.5 pounds of dry matter containing 1.01 

 pounds of protein, 8.11 pounds of digestible carbohydrates and .40 

 pounds of digestible fat and we need for this cow about 1.80 pounds 

 of protein, 11.94 pounds of carbohydrates and .47 pounds of fat, or 

 there is needed the difference between the nutrients in the silag-:: 

 and clover and the amount required; which is .79 pounds protein, 



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