194 



ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



feeding of this group of animals can perhaps be made clearer by 

 the following illustration : 



Cow of Lower Productive Capacity Liable to Be Overfed. 

 Full Ration. 



Ration of Maintenance. 



Used for Milk Used for Body 



Production. Fat. 



Ration of Maintenance 



Used for Milk 

 Production. 



The line a to d represents the amount of feed that an animal 

 of this class will consume; a to b represents the ration of main- 

 tenance as before. In this case, however, the capacity for milk 

 production is not equal to the capacity of the animal for utilizing 

 feed in excess of that required to maintain the body. The amount 

 which the animal is capable of utilizing for milk production is 

 represented by that portion of the line b to c, while the animal's 

 appetite is equal to the total line ad. This gives a surplus, c to 

 d, which is not utilized for milk production, but which will be 

 used for storing fat on the animal's body, and we will have the 

 cow gaining in weight while she is producing milk. This gain 

 in weight will be of service as far as milk production is concern- 

 ed, except that it is of some value as a reserve material to be 

 drawn upon at some other time when feed is not supplied in suf- 

 ficient amounts, but it is not economical nor desirable to fatten 

 dairy animals with the expensive feeds which are fed dairy cows. 

 That portion of the feed represented by the line, cd, should be 



