ECONOMY IN FEEDING LIVE STOCK 115 



ment and by a thoro knowledge of the farm animals themselves, which 

 can only be gained by actual experience. He will further find that 

 expensive buildings for housing stock and complex devices for feed- 

 ing and caring for them are not necessary; that there are no ''best" 

 feeds for all conditions; that elaborate and laborious preparation of 

 feed is often wasted; that patent stock foods guaranteed to w^ork 

 miracles enrich, not the farmer, but the manufacturer. 



On the other hand, he will come to appreciate that a proper bal- 

 ancing of the rations for his stock not only benefits the animals, but 

 also increases his profits; that comfort for farm stock can be secured 

 in inexpensive, easy ways, and that the operations of preparing and 

 administering feed are really simple when once understood. He will 

 further come to the deep and fundamental realization that animal 

 husbandry under normal conditions is most successful when combined 

 with general farming and the raising of farm crops ; that it rests 

 upon pasture lots which are fertilized so as to produce abundant 

 forage and upon tilled fields which are so managed that the fertility is 

 maintained and bumper crops are grown, a large part of which is 

 marketed thru the animals of the farm. 



Having discussed in the preceding chapters the fundamental prin- 

 ciples governing the rational feeding and care of the various classes 

 of farm animals, let us now consider in detail the value of the many 

 different feeding stuffs for live stock. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Using local prices for feeds, see if you can find instances where the market 

 price of a feed does not represent its actual feeding value compared with oilier 

 feeds which are available. 



2. Find the local prices for at least six concentrates and four roughages 

 suitable for feeding dairy cows, and compute the cost per pound of digestible 

 crude protein and total digestible nutrients, as on Page 108. Using this data, 

 compute the cheapest ration which will be well balanced and satisfactory in 

 other respects for a 1,000-lb. cow producing 25 lbs. of 4 per ct. milk daily. 



3. How would you adapt the amount of protein in the ration to local con- 

 ditions? 



4. When would you feed less concentrates than called for in the feeding 

 standards? 



.5. Under what conditions would you rough growing beef cattle thru the 

 winter? 



6. Discuss other ways in which you would adapt your type of farming to 

 local conditions. 



