138 



Feeds and Feeding. 



lustrated by an experiment at the Ontario Agriculttu-al College' 

 by Dean, in whicli six cows were divided into three lots of two 

 each. The ration marked I consisted exclusively of coarse feed, 

 supplying more carbohydrates and less protein than the cow 

 required. It contained a large quantity of inert matter. (136) 

 Ration II contained an ample supply of carbohydrates and an 

 over-supply of protein, the latter being contained in rich, heavy 

 oil meals. Eation III contained an excess of nutrients. By 

 alternating the rations for the three groups of cows, the influence 

 of a decreasing milk flow was eliminated from the results, which 

 were as follows: 



Feeding an improperly compounded and a toell balanced ration to dairy 

 cows — Ontario Agricultural College. 



Ration. 



Total 

 digesti 

 ble mat- 

 ter. 



Nutri- 

 tive 

 ratio. 



Av. live 

 weight. 



Daily 

 yield of 



Tnillr 



Fat. 



A. Silage 50 lb8., hay 6 lbs., 



bran 5 lbs 



I. Silage 30 lbs., oat straw 



20 lbs., hay 10 lbs 



II. Hay 20 lbs., oil meal 4 

 lbs., cotton-seed meal 



51b8 



III. Hay 20 lbs., pea meal 4 

 lbs., oat meal 5 lbs., 

 corn meal 8 lbs 



Lbs. 



10.79 

 15.89 



14.76 



20.27 



1 :8.4 

 1 :25.6 



1 :3.9 



1 :6.8 



Lbs. 



1,068 

 1,014 



1,091 



1,110 



Lbs. 



29.7 

 21.8 



29.3 



31.8 



Per ct 



3.82 

 3.67 



3.49 



3.25 



Under A is given the preliminary ration fed to all the cows; 

 with this there was an average daily milk yield of 29.7 pounds. 



When ration I was fed the cows dropped to 21.8 pounds of milk. 

 In this ration we find a liberal allowance of carbohydrates with 

 too little protein and too much inert matter. Though the cows 

 were filled with feed they were poorly nurtured. Under n there 

 was abundant nutrition, but the oil meals gi\en were heavy in 

 character and too liberal in quantity for the best results though 

 the milk flow was increased to nearly the normal. "With III we 

 have a better balanced ration; the cows were over-fed, but the 

 better character of the ration secured larger returns than were 

 possible under previous feeding, the amount of milk now reach- 

 ' Kept. 1891. 



