FODDERS AND FEED. 159 



amoTints and proportions, or, in fact, any ration conform- 

 ing to the required " standard," is also called a " balanced 

 ration," and one showing other proportions is called ^' un- 

 balanced.'^ These expressions are used to indicate that 

 the proportions in the "balanced ration" are such as to 

 insure the best use by the animal of all the food constit- 

 uents contained in it ; while in the " unbalanced ration " 

 the proportions are such as to indicate a waste of one or 

 the other classes of food compounds, because contained 

 in quantities exceeding the needs of the animal. For 

 instance, if a milch cow is fed a ration higher in car- 

 bohydrates, and lower in protein, than is indicated by 

 the standard, she will, of necessity, in order to secure 

 the requisite protein, consume more carbohydrates than the 

 system requires, thus entailing a waste of this sub- 

 stance. 



The Usefulness of Feeding Standards. — It is evi- 

 dent that the amounts and proportions of digestible food 

 compounds given by the standard are not the best for 

 every cow under all conditions of full milk flow ; for dif- 

 ferent cows differ not only in their capacity to utilize 

 food, but also in the amount of milk produced when in 

 full flow. The same holds true of standards for other 

 animals ; that which is the best for one may not be tho 

 best for another. 



Feeding standards are, therefore, mainly useful as 

 guides in the selection of food products for the prepara- 

 tion of rations ; and, though they should not be regarded 

 as positive rules, the experiments conducted in connec- 

 tion with the experience of practical feeders indicate 

 that the amount and proportion of the digestible food 



