164 THE SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



than Yi cent) per pound of butter. On the other hand, the poorest two cows, C 

 and D, produced 5,861 and 3,111 pounds of milk and 205.3 and 139.91 pounds of 

 butter, respectively. The cost of the feed for these cows per pound of butter pro- 

 duced' was 115.6 and 112 ore. The market price was the same in both instances, 

 92 ore per pound. 



This illustration shows clearly that production power considered by itself is no 

 safe basis of valuation for a cow, but that the cost must also be considered. Com- 

 pare cow A with cow C : 



The number or percentage of passive cow^s (for which the feed cost is higher than 

 the product value) is subject to considerable variation in different dairies. On an 

 average the number of passive cows in dairies in general ranges from 35 to 60 per 

 cent. By systematic culling of the cows recognized as unproductive, and breeding 

 up from the productive animals, these associations have succeeded in increasing 

 the milk and butter production and in lowering the feed requirements and production 

 cost. The following averages based on figures from 250 cows in the Testing Asso- 

 ciation of Faarup will illustrate : 



Pounds of butter 

 Pounds of Per cent Feed units produced by 100 



Year milk of fat consumed feed units 



1899-1900 5162 3.34 3921 4.87 



1900-1901 5284 3.44 3919 5.10 



1901-1902 6104 3.50 4144 5.74 



The improvements thus brought about in the course of a few decades are simply 

 marvelous and are in accord with observations made in other countries, as for 

 instance the Control Association Gramm in Schleswig-Holstein, 1899 to 1902 ("also 

 cow-testing associations and registers of merit or advanced registers in the United 

 States. — Translator) . 



In 1902 the net profit per cow in 20 dairies ranged between 13.59 and 147.37 marks 

 ($3.39 and $36.84). The differences are still more marked when the annual yields 

 of the best and poorest cows of the same dairy are compared with a statement of 

 production expenses. Even in small dairies with from 5 to 11 cows the annual 

 difference between extremes amounts to from 79 to 244 marks ($20 to $61). 



100 feeding units Net 

 Feeding units consumed produced proceeds 



Pounds Fat Pounds Concen- Other Pounds Pounds less cost 



Year of milk content of butter trates feed Total of milk of butter of feed 



1899 5,345 3.3 191.77 1,074 3,600 4,674 114 4.10 8.% 



1900 5,676 3.2 196.77 1,062 3,592 4,654 122 4.23 25.00 



1901 5,716 3.25 201.19 1,069 3,450 4,619 127 4.45 39.90 



1902 6,580 3.2 2ZZ.7Z 1,053 3,647 4,700 140 4.95 71.38 



The net profit from the best and the poorest cow under equal conditions of feed 

 supply and keeping expense has been observed and determined in four experiment 

 stations of the United States, as follows : 



Annual Net Profit from — 



Experiment Station The best cow The poorest cow Difference 



Georgia $121.21 $43.71 $77.50 



Michigan 76.25 6.38 69.87 



New Jersey 52.21 0.14 52.07 



Connecticut 45.21 —4.29 49.50 



The fact that a coav of good capacity will give almost double the prod- 

 uct yielded by a cow of poor qualities, under the same conditions of feed 

 and keep, of the same breed and the same herd, the same live weight and 

 period of lactation, should certainly emphasize the practicability and the 

 economy of breeding and feeding with a definite purpose in view. 



II. Calculation of Feeding Rations and Feeding 



Aside from maintaining health, the aim of rational feeding is to pro- 

 duce maximum returns from a minimum outlay. Feeding rations are 



