FEEDS AND FEEDING IOI 



other grasses, straw and sorghums, such grain as 

 corn, and all substances containing starch and 

 sugar in large proportions, belong in this class. 



Generally speaking, the best results cannot be ob- 

 tained from feeding exclusively rations which con- 

 tain one of these important food elements to the 

 practical exclusion of the other, for the needs of 

 the animal body require that the two shall be 

 blended in certain proportions in order that sym- 

 metrical development take place, and no part be 

 developed at the expense of another. It should not 

 be inferred that it is impossible to sustain life for 

 considerable periods without the proper blending 

 of all food elements. Life and a certain degree of 

 growth have been maintained for long periods by 

 the use of unlimited amounts of one kind of food. 

 At the Illinois experiment station a June calf was 

 maintained exclusively upon skim milk until the 

 following January. At this time, however, it began 

 to refuse its feed, became unable to hold up its 

 head, and appeared to be about to die. Straw and 

 hay were then offered it. It ate greedily and within 

 a few hours had begun to improve, and from that 

 time on made satisfactory gains upon mixed feed. 

 Similar experiments were conducted, using skim 

 milk and ground grain, and although enormous 

 quantities of these feeds were consumed, they suf- 

 ficed only to keep the animal alive and to give it 

 a small amount of growth, while animals fed much 

 smaller amounts of milk and grain in connection 

 with a liberal ration of hay, made a more consistent 

 growth and symmetrical development of all parts 

 of the body, although using a smaller total quantity 

 of feed. These and other similar experiments show 

 that the quantity of feed consumed by an animal 

 is not necessarily an indication of its economical 



