CHAPTER X 

 CALCULATING FEEDING RATIONS 



The selection of a feeding standard is the first thing 

 necessary, when one plans to feed live stock on a scientific 

 basis. The reader's attention has been called to several dif- 

 ferent standards, each of which has certain commendable 

 features. The modified Wolff-Lehmann standard, however, 

 is the one in most general use for horses, beef cattle, sheep 

 and swine, and, in view of its simple application, is here 

 recommended. For dairy cattle the Haecker standard as 

 modified by Savage is especially good, and may be easily 

 applied to a wide range of production. 



The method of calculating a ration is very simple, and 

 can easily be put in practice by anyone who knows how to 

 add, multiply, and subtract. There is nothing complicated 

 about it. The fact that manjr farmers with only common 

 school training figure out the rations for their stock, is evi- 

 dence enough to support this statement. Many men feed- 

 ing dairy cows study carefully the composition and cost of 

 feeds, and then figure out the best rations available, that will 

 agree as nearly as possible with the standard. 



THE MODIFIED WOLFF-LEHMANN STANDARD 



The first step in calculating a ration is to find out the 

 amounts of dry matter, digestible protein, total digestible 

 nutrients, and the nutritive ratio in the ration one is feed- 

 ing or is planning to feed. In this chapter, only the most 

 common feeds used over much of the United States will be 

 considered. We will go through the process of figuring out 

 the ration for fattening a two-year-old steer weighing 1,200 

 pounds, during the first period of 50 to 60 days. (See feed- 

 ing standard, Table B, Appendix.) According to the stand- 



93 



