DAIRY CATTLE AND THEIR PRODUCTS 173 



eral foods are found in water, in soil, and in the ordinary 

 rations fed to live stock. Protein is the flesh-forming food. 

 It is used for the production of flesh, tendons, and blood, 

 and forms the casein and albumin of milk. Protein is ob- 

 tained largely in such feeds as clover hay, alfalfa, oats, wheat, 

 bran, and middlings, cottonseed an$ oil meal. Carbohydrates 

 and fats furnish material for the production of body heat, 

 muscular energy, body fat, and milk fat. Corn and timothy 

 hay are rich in carbohydrates and fat. In addition to these 

 foods, cattle need a certain amount of crude fiber. This 

 includes such bulky foods as straw, fodder, and hay, which 

 contain a large amount of indigestible material. This crude 

 fiber acts as a stimulant to the digestive organs, giving them 

 work to do in disposing of it. 



Balanced rations and nutritive ratio. A balanced ration 

 is one that has the proper amounts of protein, carbohydrate, 

 and fat to secure the animal product desired, and to keep 

 the animal in a healthful condition. The nutritive ratio is 

 the proportion of protein to carbohydrates and fat. To find 

 the nutritive ratio of any ration, divide the total amount 

 of carbohydrates and fat in the ration by the total amount 



of protein, thus, c + p 21/4 f . The balanced ration usually given 

 for a dairy cow is one in which there is about six times as 

 much carbohydrates and fat as protein. The nutritive ratio 

 in this case would be 1 :6. To feed cattle wisely, one should 

 know the total amount of food needed daily, the composi- 

 tion of the food, and the nutritive ratio required for the 

 special purpose for which the feeding is done. 



Cattle feeds. The number of materials available for cat- 



