FEEDS AND FEEDING 567 



11 per cent of digestible protein. Examples are corn, barley, oats, wheat, 

 rye, molasses and dried-beet pulp. Ordinarily the farmer raises all the 

 non-nitrogenous concentrates necessary, and usually it will not pay him 

 to buy such feeds on the market. All classes of fattening animals require 

 large amounts of non-nitrogenous concentrates in order to furnish the 

 carbohydrates and fats which, as has already been stated, are the cheapest 

 sources of body fat. Also work horses must have large amounts of non- 

 nitrogenous concentrates in order to furnish energy for doing their work. 

 Milch cows need medium amounts, while they should be used more spar- 

 ingly in the rations of growing and breeding animals. 



Roughages are feeding-stuffs which contain a relatively small 

 amount of digestible nutrients, or net energy in a large bulk. They usually 

 contain less than 40 therms of energy per 100 pounds. Roughages contain 

 a large amount of crude fiber which lowers their feeding value considerably. 

 Roughages, like concentrates, may be sub-divided into nitrogenous and 

 non-nitrogenous. 



Nitrogenous roughages usually contain 6 per cent or more of digestible 

 protein. Examples are clover, alfalfa, cowpea, soy-bean hay and alfalfa 

 meal. In general, all the legume hays fall under this sub-class. Nitro- 

 genous roughages should be grown on nearly every farm, not only for their 

 feeding value but also for their fertilizing value in the crop rotations. It 

 will rarely pay to buy nitrogenous roughages on the market, as they can 

 be produced more cheaply at home. The nitrogenous roughages are valu- 

 able in the rations of nearly all classes of animals except hogs, and even 

 they make valuable use of some of them at times. Fattening animals, 

 with the exception of hogs, should have nitrogenous roughage. Unless 

 they do, it will be necessary to feed large amounts of nitrogenous concen- 

 trates, and even then the results will be only fair, unless corn silage is used. 

 Growing animals should have nitrogenous roughage, as it furnishes much 

 of the protein and mineral matter so essential to their proper development. 

 Even pigs may make use of some alfalfa or clover hay. It is almost 

 impossible to produce milk economically unless nitrogenous roughages 

 are used. Breeding cattle and sheep need little or no other feed than 

 nitrogenous roughages in winter. Brood sows and boars will eat consider- 

 able of the^leaves. Horses may have nitrogenous roughages if they are 

 clean, well cured and free from dust. Often, however, they are too dusty 

 for horses. 



Non-nitrogenous roughages usually contain less then 6 per cent of 

 digestible protein. Examples are timothy hay, corn silage, corn stover, 

 oat straw, wheat straw, barley straw and rye straw. Silage is the best 

 form in which to get all the feeding value of the corn crop. It may be used 

 to advantage in the rations of practically all classes of animals except hogs, 

 if it is properly supplemented with other feeds. The other non-nitroge- 

 nous roughages have little value except in the rations of mature breeding 

 animals, stockers and work horses. 



