x FEEDS AND FEEDING 



him kindly, self-reliant, and trustworthy. The good stockman grows 

 proud of his sleek, well-bred animals and derives a satisfaction therefrom 

 not measured in money. With pride he may hand down to his sons his 

 reputation as a breeder. He is also able to leave them fertile fields which 

 he has built up rather than robbed, a heritage bequeathed by but few 

 grain farmers. 



6. Profitable live-stock farming. In the early days, with land low in 

 price, pasturage abundant, and feed and labor cheap, making a profit 

 from live-stock farming was comparatively easy, even tho one possessed 

 little knowledge of the principles governing the feeding and care of stock. 

 Conditions have now changed. The great western prairies no longer offer 

 rich fields free for the taking, and hence thruout the country fertile land 

 is now relatively high in price. While labor and feeding stuffs are 

 much lower than under war-time conditions during the past few years, 

 they are considerably higher than in early days. Therefore present 

 times call for a more intelligent type of stock farming than has ruled in 

 the past. Efficiency is especially necessary in making the difficult adjust- 

 ments from the inflated war-time basis of costs and prices. In the long 

 run, good profits will be realized in the future as in the past from stock 

 farming, when the operations are planned with good judgment and with 

 a thoro appreciation of the requirements of the various classes of animals. 

 However, haphazard and unscientific animal husbandry should not and 

 can not return a profit under present day conditions. 



In the pioneer days of our country the feeds commonly used for live 

 stock were restricted to the grains and forages grown on the farm. 

 Knowledge of the value of these farm-grown products is not now suffi- 

 cient for intelligent feeding. The problem is complicated by the host of 

 by-products resulting from the manufacture of articles of human food 

 which are offered on the markets as feeding-stuffs for stock. Many of 

 these are valuable and economical supplements to the feeds raised on the 

 farm. However, such products vary considerably in price and even more 

 markedly in nutritive value. Most economical feeding is therefore pos- 

 sible only when the relative value of these different products compared 

 with each other and with the farm-grown crops is clearly understood. 



In seeking a knowledge of feeds and of feeding we must first consider 

 the plant substances which provide the nourishment for farm animals 

 and study the manner in which these compounds are built up in the 

 living plant. Next we should learn how the food consumed by animals 

 is digested and utilized within the body for the production of meat, milk, 

 work, or wool, and should also study the requirements of each class of 

 animals for food, water, shelter, and exercise. Only then are we in some 

 measure in a position to understand the value and merits for each of the 

 farm animals of the many different feeds, and finally to consider the 

 principles of care and management, the constant observance of which is 

 essential to the highest success in animal husbandry. 



