PRINCIPLES OF STOCK FEEDING^ 



If we regard the heat of the body ration for a cow weighing about 1000 



largely as a waste product, it is difficult pounds and giving 20 pounds of milk 



to see how this rule would apply except per day. A balanced ration is a ration 



perhaps in cold weather when food is i n which the digestible nutrients are 



Dxidized expressly for heat production. compounded in the proportions best 



There can be no doubt, however, but 8uited to tbe end in view> A balanced 



what the quantity of work an animal is ration for an animal at regtj therefore) 



doing should be taken into consideration mi M be a ye unbalanced ration for 



as well as yield of milk or other animal aQ animal ^ ^^ The ^^ 



products Generally speaking with best tioM of ^ diff M . 



these factors in mmd, the increase or * \. 



decrease in the ration should follow \ nts to . f + e f d *£ different purposes is 



somewhat closely the weight of the ani- shown in the table of feeding standards, 



mal. Small animals generally require P a ^ e 65 - n w e wish to feed a ration 



slightly more food proportionally than ™ at sh ^ll be satisfactory for a cow giv- 



large animals do. ^ n S 20 pounds of milk, we see by the 



~ * ~ ~,„ . ™,.,,« -^A-r.-KT^-^Tv-nA table, page 65, that the proportions of 



TIONS BALANCED* A- digestible ^^ best £. ^ f Qr ^ 



_ .. , purpose are 29 pounds dry matter, 2.5 



We now come to the matter of com- ^ protei M ^ carboh drat 



pounding rations so that they shall con- 05 d of £ and nutritive rati() of 



form approximately to the requirements -t .r.n 



of the feeding standards. Given certain '.'"., 



feeds, in what proportions shall they be Available foods—Let us suppose that 



fed to fulfill the various requirements the foods available are mixed hay, corn 



of rations for fattening, growth, milk silage, corn meal, bran and linseed meal 



production, maintenance (or rest), etc? (new process). The table giving the 



The work is largely mathematical. composition c.f feeding stuffs, page 74, 



Balanced ration for a cow — As an shows these feeds to have the following 



illustration, let us compound a balanced average composition: 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FEEDS 

 Feeding stuff Nitrogen- 

 Dry matter Protein Fiber free extract Fat 

 Per et Per ct Per ct Per ct Per ct 



Mixed hay S4.7 7.4 27.2 42.1 2.5 



Corn silage 25.6 1.9 5.9 12.0 0.9 



Corn meal 85.0 9.2 1.9 08.7 3.8 



Bran 89.1 15.4 9.0 53.9 4.0 



Linseed meal 91.1 35.9 8.8 36.8 3.0 



It has been shown earlier in this ac- of the ruminants will digest of the above 



count that not ^ only must the composi- feeding stuffs is shown in the table en- 



tion of a feeding stuff be known, but titled, "Percentage digestibility of 



also that the proportion of each nutri- American feeding stuffs," page 79. 



ent that an animal will digest must be From this table the following figures are 



known. The average amount which any secured: 



THE PERCENTAGE DIGESTIBILITY OF MIXED HAY, DENT CORN SILAGE, 



CORN MEAL, BRAN AND LINSEED MEAL. 



Nitrogen- 

 Dry matter Protein Fiber free extract Fat 



Mixed hay 57.10 58.50 59.70 58.70 48.50 



Corn silage 65.10 49.30 66.70 6S.60 80.00 



Corn meal 89.40 67.90 — 94.60 92.10 



Bran 62.30 77.80 28.60 69.40 68.00 



Linseed meal 79.20 85.20 80.40 86.10 96.60 



Coefficients of digestibility_The fig- hay about 57.1 per cent is digestible by 



ures given in this table are called the ruminants. Of the total protein in mixed 



"coefficients of digestibility." Taking hay 58.5 per cent is digestible, of the 



those for mixed hay for consideration total fibre 59.7 per cent, of the total ni- 



the 57.1 per cent under dry matter means trogen-free extract 58.7 per cent and of 



that of the total dry matter in mixed the total fat 48.5 per cent is digestible. 



