FEEDING EXPERIMENTS WITH MILCH COWS. 



47 



The grain is subject to quite wide variations in composition, 

 depending somewhat on the variety, nature of the soil where 

 grown, climatic conditions, etc. As a rule oats grown in high 

 latitudes are heavier, contain less crude fiber and more nutrients 

 than those grown farther south. 



Good, heavy, northern grown oats do not vary greatly in 

 composition from wheat bran, the principal difference being 

 that they contain a little less protein, and ash materials. Their 

 feeding value as far as has been determined is not materially 

 different. 



The average composition of northern grown oats and wheat 

 bran is shown in the following table : 













a 















© -fci 















be o 















O C3 







as 



GO 



p 



p 





c3 





<! 



Ph 



fa 



*&£ <s 



fa 





% 



% 



% 



% 



% 



% 





10.00 



3.0 



12.50 



9.00 



60.50 



5.00 





12.00 



6.0 



15.50 



9.00 



53.50 



4.00 







The chemical composition, the digestibility of the two being 

 about the same, would indicate that bran is worth slightly more 

 pound for pound than oats, but so far as they have been tested 

 practically, there does not seem to be any material difference. 

 In the test made at this station, the results of which are given 

 in the following tables, the six cows previously described were 

 used. They were divided into two lots of three each. Lot I 

 received ration I and lot II, ration II, for the first period. The 

 order was reversed in the second period, lot I receiving ration 

 II; lot II, ration I. In the third period both lots were fed as 

 in the first period. 



RATIONS FED DAILY. 



( Bran, 4 pounds. 

 Ration I— Hay, 20 pounds, mixed grain, 8 pounds. ] Corn meal, 2 pounds. 



( Cotton seed meal, 2 pounds. 



( Ground oats, 4 pounds. 

 Ration II— Hay, 20 pounds, mixed grain, 8 pounds, ] Covn meal, 2 pounds. 



( Cotton seed meal, 2 pounds. 



Cows No. 2, 3 and 4 received the full rations as given above, but Nos. 1 and 6 

 received but seven pounds of grain mixture, and No. 5 but six pounds. 



