Principles of Feeding 65 
BALANCED RATION 
A balanced ration is one that contains the food nutrients in 
the proper proportion to meet the needs of the animal for a given 
purpose. Skill in balancing a ration depends much on one’s 
knowledge of the composition and digestibility of the more com- 
mon foods. 
121. Nutritive-ratio. — The nutritive-ratio is the proportion 
between the digestible protein in a given food and the digestible 
carbohydrates and fats. It is ascertained in the following man- 
ner: multiply the digestible fat by 23, add the product to the 
digestible carbohydrates, and divide their sum by the digestible 
protein. 
The method of calculating the nutritive-ratio of corn, the digest- 
ible nutrients of which are protein 7.8, carbohydrates 66.8, and 
fat 4.3, is as follows : — 
Fat Heat EqQuivaLEntT 
4.3 x 2t = 9.67 
CARBOHYDRATES 
9.67 + 66.8 = 76.47 
PROTEIN 
76.47 + 7.8 = 9.8 
Nutritive-ratio 1: 9.8. 
This gives a nutritive-ratio of 1: 9.8 for corn, and it means that 
for each pound of digestible protein in the corn there are 9.8 pounds 
of digestible carbohydrate and fat equivalent. A nutritive-ratio 
may be distinguished as “‘ narrow ” or “ wide.’”’ A narrow ration 
is one in which the proportion of protein is quite large, say 1: 4.5, 
whereas a wide ration is one where the carbohydrates are large, 
say 1:8 or 1:10. These terms do not represent exact values, but 
are used in a general way. 
122. Computing rations. — There are two methods of computing 
rations in common practice: first, according to the digestible nu- 
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