684 



EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD. 



In another series of experiments, here reported for the first time, 4 lots of 4 cows 

 each were fed several different rations during an experiment covering 3 four-week 

 periods. The feeding stuffs, of which analyses are given, were bran, corn meal, 

 gluten meal, oats, barley, fodder corn, silage, and prairie hay. The following table 

 summarizes some of the data: 



Summary of results of a feeding experhnent ivifli. dairy cotvs. 



Period I: 



Lotl.... 



Lot2.... 



Lots.... 



Lot4.... 



Average 

 Period II: 



Lot 1 ... . 



Lot2.... 



Lots.... 



Lot4.... 



Average 

 Period III: 

 • Lotl.... 



Lot 2.... 



Lots.... 



Lot4.... 



Average 



Aver- 

 age 

 weight 



of 

 cows. 



Us. 

 769 



725 

 881 

 669 

 761 



794 

 746 

 902 

 681 



781 



812 

 778 

 938 

 744 

 818 



Dry 

 matter 



con- 

 sumed. 



Lbs. 

 16. 613 

 15. 090 

 17. 334 

 14. 631 

 15. 917 



20. 213 

 18. 516 

 21. 110 

 19. 185 

 19. 756 



20. 749 

 19. 063 

 21. 790 

 20. 269 

 20. 468 



Digestible matter con- 

 sumed. 



Pro- 

 tein. 



Lbs. 

 1.744 

 1. 605 

 1. 845 

 1.594 

 1.704 



2.037 

 l.Sll 

 1.739 

 1. 491 

 1.769 



1.844 

 1.694 

 1.937 

 1.802 

 1.819 



Car- 

 bohy- 

 drates. 



Lbs. 



9.154 



8.329 



9.607 



8.069 



8.790 



10. 560 

 9.851 

 11.079 

 10. 664 

 10. 538 



10. 791 

 9.914 

 11.332 

 10. 541 

 10. 644 



Lb. 



0.501 

 .452 

 .518 

 .448 

 .480 



.500 

 .437 

 .532 

 .446 

 .479 



.537 

 .494 

 .564 

 . 525 

 .530 



Yield 

 of milk. 



Lhs. 



16.86 



14.86 



16.75 



17.51 



16.49 



15.82 

 1.5. 18 

 16.27 

 17.66 

 16. 23 



15.18 

 14.29 

 15.96 

 17.07 

 15.62 



Fat 

 content 

 of milk 



Per ct. 

 5.53 

 5.17 

 4.70 



4.78 

 5.04 



5.64 

 5.15 

 4.63 

 4.56 

 4.98 



5.72 

 5.02 

 4.61 

 4.66 

 4.99 



Pro- 

 tein 

 avail- 

 able 

 for 

 milk 

 produc- 

 tion 



Lbs. 

 1. 236 



1.098 

 1.228 

 1.126 

 1.171 



1. 4S1 

 1.289 

 1.108 

 1.014 

 1.222 



1. 276 

 1.149 

 1.280 

 1. 281 

 1.246 



Pro- 

 tein 

 for lib. 

 milk. 



Lb. 

 0. 0733 

 .0739 

 .0733 

 .0643 

 .0710 



.0936 

 .0849 

 .0681 

 .0574 

 .0753 



.0840 

 .0804 

 . 0802 

 .0750 

 .0798 



The results are considered as indicating that - 



"Cows giving ordinary yields of milk and butter fat do not require the amount of 

 protein called for in the standard rations. 



"The amount of milk a cow gives daily and its fat content measures the amount of 

 protein the animal requires over and above what is needed for maintenance. 



"There is a limit to the milk and butter fat-producing capacity of a cow at any 

 given time. Feeding more protein than she needs for this production and for her 

 own support is of no advantage. 



"The excess of protein, with the corresponding excess of the other nutrients, will 

 tend to cause her to lay on fiesh and thereby shrink in milk flow. 



"Grains ordinarily grown on the farm fed in conjunction with such roughage as 

 fodder corn, corn silage, timothy, and prairie hay provide ample protein for cows 

 doing ordinary dairy work." 



Feeding experiments with dairy cows, J. F. Duggar and R. W. Clark {Ala- 

 bama College Sta. Bid. 114, pp. 53-80). —In 2 experiments, including 5 cows and 

 lasting 8 weeks each, the object was to compare purchased and farm-grown feeds. 

 The purchased ration was composed chiefly of cotton-seed meal and hulls and the 

 farm-grown ration of cotton seed and sorghum hay. The average results of the 2 

 experiments showed a daily production of milk and butter per cow of 24.3 and 1.19 

 lbs., respectively, on the purchased ration and 17.53 and 0.93 lbs. on the farm-grown 

 ration. The average cost of food per pound of butter on the 2 rations was, respec- 

 tively, 15.3 and 10.35 cts., and the daily profit per cow 6.45 and 8.75 cts. The 

 purchased ration was better eaten and more milk and butter were produced, but the 

 profit was much less. 



" On account of the larger amounts of food consumed, the cows while receiving the 

 cotton-seed meal ration gained nearly half a pound a day in weight, while the cows 

 eating cotton seed in smaller amounts lost 0.8 lb. per day." 



