318 PRODUCTIVE FARMING 



to meet the standards it is often necessary for the farmer to 

 sell some grain, such as corn, and to purchase others of dif- 

 ferent composition. 



Balanced Rations. — ^When the nutrients are in the proper 

 amounts to meet the requirements of the feeding standard 

 the ration is said to be a balanced ration. If they are not in 

 the right proportion it is called unbalanced. Very few natural 

 feeds conform closely to the standards given for the various 

 purposes of feeding. They must be combined with other 

 feeds in such a way as to balance the daily ration. 



Nutritive Ratios. — The amount of protein in any feed 

 compared with the other nutrients is called the nutritive 

 ratio. For example, there are about three pounds of protein 

 and six of other nutrients in one hundred pounds of skim 

 milk. Dividing the six by three (6-^3 = 2) the ratio is found 

 to be two. It is expressed thus — 1 : 2. The nutritive ratios 

 are given in the feeding table in the Appendix. 



In calculating these ratios the fat is not added directly 

 to the carbohydrates, but it is first multipUed by two and 

 one-fourth and then added. This is done for the reason that 

 fat in any feed is two and one-fourth times as valuable as 

 carbohydrate in the producing of heat and fat. 



To make this clear, the ratio for alfalfa hay may be 

 figured. The digestible nutrients in one hundred pounds of 

 alfalfa are : 1.2 pounds of fat, 39 . 6 pounds of carbohydrates, 

 and 11 pounds of protein. 



1.2X2^=2.7 (fat equivalent to c.h.). 



2 . 7 + 39 . 6 = 42 . 3 (total nutrients not protein) . 



42 . 3 -^ 1 1 = 3 . 84 (ratio, expressed 1 : 3 . 84) . 



Comparison of Clover with the Standard. — Red clover 

 hay is very nearly a balanced feed for dairy cows giving 

 twenty-two pounds of milk daily. It comes as near the feed- 

 ing standard for such a purpose as any one feed can without 

 mixing with other feeds. Feeding a great amount of any 



