PRICKLY PEAR AS STOCK FEED. SMITH. 



21 



On the basis of butter-fat production, Woodward, Turner. 

 and Griffiths found that, for 0. Qommei and 0. cyanella, one 

 part digestible nutrients of sorghum hay equalled 1-4 parts 

 digestible nutrients prickly pear when fed in medium amount ; 

 while when fed in high amount the value of the priokly pear 



was 33 per cent, lower. 



• 



As milk is generally valued as a commodity on butter-fat 

 content, the butter-fat basis is no doubt the best on which to 

 evaluate the feeds. If compared on the basis of milk produced, 

 having no regard to fat content, the comparative values of 

 prickly pear and hay will be slightly more favourable to prickly 

 pear. In terms of weights of the feeds, 1 lb. of chaffed Soudan 

 grass hay in rations for milch cows is equal in value to 5 to 

 6 lb. of succulent prickly pear (85 per cent, water content) 

 when the prickly pear is fed in medium amount, and to 8 lb. 

 when fed in high amounts. 



The Influence of Prickly Pear on Composition of 



Milk. 

 Feeding prickly pear reduces the fat content of the milk ; 

 generally the higher the amount fed, the greater the reduction. 

 (Table 10.) Table 14 gives the fat percentage of the milk of 

 individual cows receiving various feeds in the course of the trials. 

 Table 15 also shows the effect of prickly pear by comparing 

 the fat content of the milk of individuals just before and 

 after changes of roughages ;— 



Table 14. — Butter-fat ix Milk of Individxtal Cows dueing Diverse Feeding. 



