CROPPING AND FEEDING SYSTEMS 843 



For fattening steers (1000 pounds) : Pounds. 



Corn silage 50 to 60 



Straw 6 to 10 



Hay : .. 3 to 6 



Meal, starting at one pound, go up to 10 pounds per diem. 



Balanced Rations. — Animals require not only a sufficient amount of 

 feed, but also enough of each of the different food elements as well. This 

 pertains to the relationship of protein to carbohydrates and fat, and is 

 spoken of as the nutritive ratio. The nutritive ratio is determined, as 

 above indicated, by the character of animal and the work performed. It 

 may vary somewhat within reasonable limits without seriously affecting 

 the yield of animal products. The relative cost of protein and carbohy- 

 drates often justifies some modification in the ratio. 



Standard rations for different classes of livestock will be found in the 

 chapters pertaining to each class of animals. Methods of calculating 

 rations are given in Chapter 45. 



REFERENCES 



Illinois Expt. Station Bulletin 125. "Thirty Years of Crop Rotation on a Prairie Soil." 

 Minnesota Expt. Station Bulletins: 



104, 109. "The Rotation of Crops." 

 U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Bulletin 102. "Planning a 



Cropping System." (In three parts.) 

 U. S. Dept. of Agriculture: 



Year-Book 1902, pages 342-364. "Systems of Farm Management in the 



United States." 

 Year-Book 1907, pages 385-389. "Cropping Systems for Stock Farms." 

 Farmers' Bulletin 337, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. "Cropping Systems for New England 

 Dairy Farms." 



