CHAPTER IX. 



THE PALATABILITT OF FEED. 



The profitable feeding of dairy cows is a very 

 important matter, and a careful consdderation 

 of this subject by the dairyman will be time 

 well spent. The chemical composition and the 

 digestibility of feeds are of great importance 

 and deserve a certain amount of attention, but 

 the first question to be asked in regard to a food 

 is, Will the cow eat it with a relish? Is it pala- 

 table? 



Unpalatable Feed Unprofitable. — ^The experi- 

 ence of many of the most successful dairy farm- 

 ers has led them to believe that the most per- 

 fectly balanced food may lack palatability to 

 such a degree that the cow will not consume 

 sufficient to make a profit. Experience has 

 taught them that a palatable unbalanced food is 

 superior to an unpalatable balanced food. It 

 matters not how much nutriment analysis may 

 show a food to contain; if the cow will not eat 

 it what profit are we to secure from feeding it? 

 Do not understand me as ignoring the desira- 

 bility of securing a balanced ration for our cows, 



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