5IO FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



best suit his purpose. He may have an approximate idea 

 from the results obtained by previous experimenters in 

 feeding the same rations, in the same way and under the 

 same conditions. But, should the conditions be changed, 

 or any of the ingredients in the rations, or the amounts of 

 these fed, factors are introduced which will lead to different 

 results, how far different, the weigh scale only can ac- 

 curately determine. 



In the fattening processes, the various foods fed are 

 usually relatively costly, so costly that the increase in live 

 weight seldom equals in value the foods used in making it. 

 (See p. 384). This result follows, even though the food 

 and feeding are both well adapted to the end sought. It 

 is greatly important, therefore, that the gains shall bear 

 a due relation to the cost of the food, and that they shall 

 be liberal and continuous. The daily cost of food for a 

 mature cattle beast, while being fattened, runs all the way 

 from 10 to 25 cents per day. Where only partial gains re- 

 sult, the loss resulting piles up rapidly. The same is true 

 when cows in milk are liberally fed without making cor- 

 responding returns. 



In stables where the milk of each cow is weighed as 

 soon as taken throughout the year, relative capacitv in 

 the cows for production soon becomes known. This of 

 course, does not tell the whole story, unless the food also is 

 weighed that is given to each cow, which is scarcely prac- 

 ticable in the ordinary stable. But it gives an approximate 

 idea of relative production in proportion to cost of food, so 

 approximately accurate that it enables the keeper of cows 

 to weed out those least profitable and to supplant them with 

 others without the hazard of serious mistake. Likewise, 

 the weigh scale may be made to indicate the degree of the 

 return for food fed at any stage of development. But when 

 taking the weights alive, the liability to fluctuations in the 

 same must not be overlooked. (See p. 514.) When due at- 

 tention is thus given to the extent of the production that is 

 being secured, the invariable result is to stimulate the 



