680 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



better with the sheep when fed in connection with hay than when fed 

 by itself. In the latter case, at the close of the period the sheep began 

 to show signs of digestive disturbances, which would certainly have 

 become quite pronounced had the feeding been continued much longer." 



The first feeding experiment was made during April and May and 

 included 2 periods of 21 days each, with a transition period. The sec- 

 ond experiment lasted from October G to December 15, the time being- 

 divided into 2 periods, with a transition period of 2 weeks. In each 

 experiment the cows were divided into 2 lots, one lot being fed the 

 cotton-seed feed ration and the other the hay ration in the first period, 

 and the feeding reversed in the second period. In the first experiment 

 like amounts of cotton-seed feed and hay were fed with a constant 

 basal ration, but in the second experiment 2 or 3 lbs. of hay was fed 

 with the cotton-seed feed, the basal ration of grain being constant as 

 before. 



The results for the individual cows, together with the composition of 

 the feeding stuffs and the milk, are tabulated. In computing the finan- 

 cial results, hay and cotton-seed feed are both rated at $15 per ton. A 

 summary of the results of the 2 experiments is given in the following- 

 table : 



Comparison of cotton-seed feed with hay for milch cows. 



first experiment: 



Cotton-seed feed 



Hay : 



Second experiment: 



Cotton-seed teed 



Hay 



Summary of 2 experiments 



Cotton-seed feed 



Hay 



Total 



yield of 



milk. 



Pounds. 

 2, 574. 58 

 2, 483. 21 



548. 73 

 574. 99 



5, 867. 00 

 5, 933. 00 



Total 

 yield of 



'solids. 



Pounds. 

 366. 87 

 346. 92 



76.10 

 79.90 



823. 50 

 826. 30 



Total 



yield of 



fat. 



Digestible matter 

 required to pro- 

 duce — 



Pounds. 

 133. 33 

 119. 00 



26.18 

 27. 02 



290. 4 



281.1 



100 lbs. of lib. of 

 milk. butter, a 



Pounds. 

 64.40 

 68.49 



70.90 

 66.90 



67. 65 

 67.69 



Pi) ii nils. 

 10.68 

 12.27 



12.77 

 12. 18 



11.72 



12. 22 



A \ erage cost of 

 food per — 



lOOlbs.of lib. of 

 milk. butter. 



Cen ts. 

 94.70 

 100.10 



110.6 

 104.9 



102.6 

 102.5 



Cents. 

 15.49 

 17.94 



20. 10 

 19.33 



17.79 

 18.63 



a Calculated from the milk fat. 



" [In the first experiment] the cotton-seed feed ration gave a slightly larger 

 amount of milk than the hay ration. A 5.4 percentage increase in the amount of 

 total solids is also noted, while fully 10 per cent more butter fat was produced hy 

 the cotton-seed ration. This latter result could hardly have been expected. ... A 

 part of the decrease in the amount of milk, solids, and fat produced by the hay 

 ration can be accounted for in the sudden shrinkage of cow 5, . . . showing a 

 shrinkage of 34 per cent in yield of milk [on hay] from that produced in the previous 

 period. . . . 



"[In the second experiment, with fresh cows] the results are the reverse of those 

 obtained in the first test, the hay period yielding several per cent more milk, milk 

 solids, and fat. Our observations of the animals from day to day during the trial 

 indicated that the cotton-seed feed ration was falling slightly behind the hay 

 ration. . . . The cotton-seed rations slightly increased the cost of the milk and 

 butter." 



In conclusion, the authors state that while the 2 experiments have 

 shown cottonseed feed to give as large milk and butter yields at as 



