BREEDS OF BEEF CATTLE 



307 



To supply 14 therms requires 14-^0.596=23.49 pounds of total 

 feed, consisting of 7.83 pounds of clover hay and 15.66 pounds of 

 corn-and-cob meal, or, in round numbers, 8 pounds of hay and 16 

 pounds of meal. 



This, of course, represents the average ration for the whole 

 feeding period. At the beginning the feed will naturally be lighter 

 and consist to a larger extent of hay, while the amount of feed, and 

 especially the proportion of grain, will be gradually increased until 

 toward the end of the feeding the animals are consuming all the 

 grain they will take, with only enough hay to insure the necessary 

 bulk and proper digestion. Naturally, too, the form in which the 

 corn is given will usually be varied in the course of the feeding. 



Improvement of a Ration. In the foregoing example it was 

 assumed that the feeding stuffs to be used had been decided upon 

 and attention was directed simply to the quantity required. Let us 

 now take up the question from the other end and see where a study 

 of the ration may not yield some suggestion of possible improve- 

 ment. 



According to the table herein, clover hay and corn-and-cob 

 meal, respectively, contain in 100 pounds^ 



The 8 pounds of clover hay in the ration will evidently contain 

 eight one-hundredths of the amounts given in the table, viz: 

 84.7 X0.08=6.78 pounds of dry matter. 

 5.41x0.08=0.43 pounds of digestible protein. 

 34.74X0.08=2.78 therms of energy value. 

 A precisely similar computation for the corn-and-cob meal gives 

 the following results: 



84^9 X0.16=13.58 pounds of dry matter. 



4.53X0.16= 0.72 pounds of digestible protein. 

 72.05X0.16=11.53 therms of energy. 

 Adding these amounts, it is found that the total ration contains: 



The quantity of energy, of course, corresponds with that esti- 

 mated to be necessary, because the amounts of feed were fixed upon 

 that basis. It is observed, however, that the amount of digesti- 

 ble protein in the ration is considerably less than is estimated on 



