Circular No. 63. (Revision of No. 50.) February, 1916. 



MASSACHUSEHS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 



AMHERST 



BALANCED RATIONS FOR DAIRY STOCK 



By J. B. LiNDSEY 



1. Composition of Cattle Feeds. 



All cattle feeds, whether in the form of grains and their 

 by-products, or as hay, com silage and straw, are composed of 

 the following groups of substances: 



Water — The several grains and their by-products contain 

 from 7 to 12 per cent of water; hay and straw, 12 to 16 per cent; 

 field-cured com stover, 30 to 40 per cent; and com silage, 76 to 

 80 per cent. 



Ash represents the mineral ingredients, and constitutes the 

 ashes after the feed is burned. These ashes consist of lime, 

 potash, soda, magnesia, iron, phosphoric and sulfuric acids. 



Protein is a collective name for all of the nitrogenous matter ; 

 it corresponds to the lean meat in the animal, and may be termed 

 "vegetable meat." It has the same elementary composition as 

 animal flesh. When fed to animals as a component of the various 

 feedstufEs, it serves as the exclusive source of flesh as well as a 

 source of heat or energy and fat. 



Crude fiber or cellulose is the coarse or woody part of the 

 plant. It may be called the plant's framework. It is a source 

 of heat or energy and fat. 



N on-nitrogenous extract matter represents the sugars, starch 

 and gums. It is the principal source of heat or energy and animal 

 fat. 



Fat includes not only the various oils and fats in all grains 

 and coarse fodders, but also waxes, resins and coloring matters. 

 It is frequently termed ether extract, because it is that portion 

 of the plant soluble in ether. It serves as a source of heat or 

 energy and fat in the body of the animal. 



Carbohydrates is a term which is generally used to include 

 both the fiber and the non-nitrogenous extract matter. 



It will thus be seen that all of the several groups of nutrients — 

 protein, carbohydrates and fat — are sources of energy; that is. 



