84 PRINCIPLES OF FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



Example 1, Details of Cost 



We note that the rank of the different feeds at the prices given 

 is as follows : 



According to contents of digestible matter, 1, 2, 3, 5, 4. 



According to energy values, 1, 3, 2, 5, 4. 



According to feed-unit values, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 



The relative value of these feeds does not differ greatly whether 

 one or the other of the methods of calculation be adopted; fodder 

 corn is the cheapest feed according to all three methods of calcula- 

 tion ; alfalfa or corn meal comes next, and wheat bran and oil meal 

 are the most expensive feeds. Where differences in the relative rank 

 do occur, it is evident that the digestible matter gives an undue 

 advantage in the case of coarse feeds, and that energy values give 

 corn too much credit over the protein feeds, wheat bran and oil meal, 

 except when fed to fattening steers, in which case the figures given 

 for these values are doubtless the best available. The rank based 

 on feed-unit values, on the other hand, is likely to prove the more 

 correct in case of feeding growing animals, milch cows and sheep. 



Example 2. Both cotton-seed meal and linseed meal can be 

 bought at $32 a ton, gluten feed at $25 a ton, and dried distillers' 

 grains at $28 a ton, which should be bought for feeding dairy cows, 

 supplementary to corn silage and clover hay. By similar methods of 

 calculation as before we have the following data : 



Example 2, Details of Cost 



