116 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



cows, and horses at hard work rations made up, for the most part at least, 

 of well-liked feeds. Some concentrates, such as malt sprouts and dried 

 distillers' grains, which may not be relished when fed alone, are entirely 

 satisfactory if given in mixture with other better-liked feeds. Similarly, 

 such roughages as straw and marsh hay, which are of low palatability, 

 may be given in limited amount even to animals fed for production, a 

 practice widely followed by European farmers. While the maximum 

 gains may be made on rations composed entirely of exceedingly palatable 

 feeds, it should be remembered that one of the chief functions of our 

 domestic animals is to consume and convert into useful products ma- 

 terials which would otherwise be wasted. (2) 



163. Variety of feeds. Skilled feeders usually maintain that a ration 

 composed of a variety of feeds will give better results than when a 

 smaller number are employed, even tho the latter ration supplies the 

 proper amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. From the discussions 

 in the preceding chapters, in which it has been pointed out that the 

 protein furnished by certain feeds is unbalanced in composition, it is 

 evident that a larger variety of feeds may, by the law of chance, furnish 

 a better balanced mixture of protein than one or two feeds alone. (93, 

 118) With these facts in mind it is wise, in choosing supplements 

 for a ration low in protein, to select those which will supply protein 

 from different sources. For example, it is injudicious to use corn by- 

 products, such as corn gluten feed or gluten meal, in balancing the 

 ration of pigs otherwise fed corn only. 



With dairy cows, especially in the case of high-producing animals 

 being forced on official test, skilled feeders place emphasis on having 

 variety in the ration, tho this does not imply changes in the ration from 

 day to day. Indeed, sudden changes in kinds of feed are to be avoided. 

 At least with horses and fattening animals, the advantage of a large 

 variety of feeds in the ration does not seem to have been proven, pro- 

 vided the simple ration furnishes the proper amount and kind of nutri- 

 ents. For example, oats and timothy hay for the horse, and corn and 

 alfalfa hay for fattening steers furnish rations which can scarcely be 

 improved from the standpoint of production and health, tho other com- 

 binations may perhaps be cheaper. 



164 Cost of the ration. The most important factor of all, for the 

 farmer who must depend on the profits from his stock for his income, 

 is the cost of the ration. In securing a ration which provides the nutri- 

 ents called for by the standards and meets the other conditions previously 

 discussed, lies a great opportunity for exercising foresight and business 

 judgment on every farm where animals are fed. The wise farmer- 

 feeder will consider the nutrient requirements of his animals in planning 

 his crop rotations. Thru the use of grain from corn or the sorghums, 

 legume hay, and such cheap succulence as silage from corn or the sor- 

 ghums, it is possible in most sections of the country to go far toward 

 solving the problem of providing a well-balanced, economical ration. A 



