SELECTION OF RATIONS 305 



404. Selection of a ration largely a business matter. — 

 Those who have carefully followed the preceding state- 

 ments must have become convinced that the selection 

 of a ration which shall be the best possible from a business 

 standpoint is not a simple matter. We must always dis- 

 tinguish between the combination that is most efficient 

 physiologically or productively, and the one that is the 

 source of largest profit. It is often the case — ^perhaps 

 generally — ^that a food mixture which induces a high rate 

 of production is the most profitable one to use, but this 

 occurs only when business conditions make it possible. 

 Many seem to think that if a ration is "balanced" it 

 necessarily meets all the requirements for the maximum 

 profit, but this is an erroneous view. 



For instance, a farmer somewhat remote from the 

 markets may have on hand an abundant supply of hay 

 and home-raised grains of such a character that it is 

 impossible to compound them so as to conform to the 

 accepted feeding standard for mUch cows. If the prices 

 of dairy products are low, and those of piu-chased feed- 

 ing-stuffs are high, it is entirely possible for the farmer 

 to secure more profit from his cows with an "unbalanced" 

 ration than with one which has a more nearly correct 

 nutritive ratio. 



The western stockman can often afford to waste 

 corn on fattening steers rather than use it with greater 

 physiological economy by mixing it with purchased 

 grains. The cost of the latter would soon offset the 

 profits otherwise possible. All this is equivalent to say- 

 ing that practical considerations often justify a wide 

 departure from the standard rations. HUls states the 

 case weU when he says: 



"The study of the requirements of the individual 



