THE EFFICIENCY OF RATIONS 



311 



pound of gain, while hogs require only about 5 pounds of 

 concentrates to produce one pound of gain. Table 25, 

 which is made up from results compiled by Jordan/ shows 

 the comparative efficiency of different species of farm ani- 

 mals to convert their feed into marketable products and 

 into edible dry substance. 



Table 25. — Product from 100 Pounds of Digestible 

 Organic Matter 



Animal 



Dairy cow 

 Dairy cow 

 Dairy cow 

 Hog 

 Hog 

 Fowl 

 Fowl 

 Fowl 

 Sheep 

 Sheep 

 Steer . 

 Steer . 



Product 



milk . . . 

 cheese . 

 butter . . . 

 live weight . 

 dressed carcas 



eggs . . . 

 five weight . 

 dressed carcass 

 live weight . 

 dressed carcass 

 live weight . 

 dressed carcass 



Total 

 Amount 



Lh. 



139 

 15 



6 

 30 

 25 

 20 

 20 

 16 

 14 



7 

 13 



8 



Edible Dry 

 Substance 



Lh. 



18 

 9 

 5 



16 

 5 



4 



3 



3 



This table shows that the dairy cow and the hog give the 

 greatest returns per 100 pounds of digestible organic matter, 

 i.e., they utilize their rations most efficiently as far as the 

 production of human food is concerned. The fowl ranks 

 next, with the sheep and steer last. It is of interest to note 

 that the returns, as a rule, vary directly with the amount 

 of labor expended. Labor is a large factor in the produc- 

 tion of dairy products, while it is reduced to a minimum 



"The Feeding of Animals," p. 405. 



