110 



FEEDS AND FEEDING, ABRIDGED 



This ration, which costs 22.95 cts., supplies the minimum amount of 

 protein recommended by the standard, and is slightly above it in 

 total digestible nutrients. Tho costing 1.45 cts. more than the first 

 ration, it will be more economical, for it should produce much better 

 results. 



It was explained in Chapter VII that the lower amounts of digest- 

 ible crude protein advised for the dairy cow in the Modified Wolff -Leh- 

 mann standards are the amounts recommended by Haecker, while the 

 higher figures are those set forth by Savage. (Appendix Table V.) 

 Cows of pronounced dairy temperament may be advantageously fed 

 as much protein as called for by the higher figures, providing this does 

 not greatly increase the cost of the ration. Let us then see how 

 cheaply a ration can be provided which will supply 2.67 lbs. of digest- 

 ible crude protein, the. higher figure advised by the standard. The 

 protein can be added most cheaply by substituting more cottonseed 

 meal for corn, but instead of merely using more cottonseed meal, let 

 us feed 1 lb. of wheat bran, which will lighten the still somewhat 

 heavy concentrate mixture and which is much relished by the cow. 

 At the prices given, bran is an expensive source of protein, since it is 

 not high in that nutrient. The price per pound of total digestible 

 nutrients is, however, slightly lower than that of cottonseed meal. 

 Arranging the results as before, we will have : 



Third trial ration for corn-belt dairy cow 



This ration, which has a nutritive ratio of 1 :6.1, costs about 1 cent 

 more than the preceding ration. The concentrate mixture will be 

 preferred by many dairymen, for it is more bulky, weighing 1.1 lbs. 

 per quart. Whether this ration will produce enough more milk to 

 pay for the increased cost will depend on how pronounced is the dairy 

 temperament of the particular cow getting the ration. 



A cotton-belt ration for milk production. — In the preceding exam- 

 ple, corn among the concentrates and corn silage among the rough- 

 ages furnished total digestible nutrients most cheaply. Therefore, 



