148 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



of the feeds and on whether the market will pay a better price for the 

 more highly finished animal. (733, 858) 



When protein-rich feeds supply nutrients more cheaply than those 

 carbonaceous in character, as in the cotton belt and the alfalfa districts 

 of the West, it will be economy to feed much more than the minimum 

 amounts of protein set forth in the standards. (612, 768) However, 

 protein should not be supplied in such excess as to injure the health of 

 the animals. 



198. Proportion of concentrates to roughages. To meet the standards 

 for fattening cattle and sheep and for milk cows, fairly liberal amounts 

 of concentrates are required. At prices current before the World War, 

 concentrates often furnished total digestible nutrients nearly as cheaply 

 as did roughages. Under such conditions it is advisable to feed as large 

 a proportion of concentrates as is called for by the standards. (716, 902, 

 906-7) 



On the other hand, during and immediately after the war roughages 

 were usually decidedly more economical than concentrates in most parts 

 of the United States, and hence it was profitable to feed less concentrates 

 than under pre-war conditions. For example, it is shown later that in 

 some of the feeding trials carried on during that time steers fed no 

 corn except that in corn silage returned more profit than others fed the 

 usual allowance of corn. (715) 



Now grain and some other concentrates are back to pre-war levels or 

 even lower in the corn belt and some other sections, while roughages 

 have fallen less in price. In these districts, concentrates again furnish 

 nutrients nearly as cheaply as roughages, and in some instances even 

 more economically. Therefore the conditions under which liberal feed- 

 ing of concentrates is advisable have again returned. 



With dairy cows much depends on the productive capacity of the 

 animal. Except when concentrates are unusually high in price, the cow 

 of good dairy temperament will pay for at least a fair allowance of con- 

 centrates. On the contrary, for a low or limited productive capacity 

 the most economical ration, when concentrates are relatively high in 

 price, may be silage and legume hay with no concentrates. (612) 



The recommendations in the feeding standards for growing cattle and 

 sheep are based upon continuous thrifty growth, and hence call for a 

 limited allowance of concentrates in addition to roughage. The breeder 

 of pure-bred animals who wishes to develop the best there is in his 

 young stock will feed the concentrates needed to keep them growing 

 rapidly. On the other hand, the western beef producer may find it 

 most profitable to carry young stock thru the winter on roughage alone 

 or with but a small allowance of concentrates. Thus fed, they will gain 

 in frame, and tho losing in flesh, will be thrifty enough in the spring to 

 make good gains on the cheap pasturage. (137-8, 797-9) 



199. Finish animals to meet demands of the market. The wise stock- 

 man will keep in close touch with the demands of the market and adjust 



