^S Illinois State Dairymen's Association. 



It was practically impossible to induce the cows in lot II to 

 consume enough food to supply protein enough for large quan- 

 tities of milk. We find just such conditions on many farms. 

 When we ask how the cows are fed, we get the reply that they 

 are getting all they will eat. Tbis is often true but they are 

 feeding a ration not relished by the animals or one which does 

 not keep them in good condition, and they cannot expect them to 

 consume large quantities and make profitable returns. Timothy 

 is not palatable and these cows could not be induced to eat large 

 cjuantities of it. It was cut and mixed with clover yet they 

 would manage to clean up the clover and leave much of the 

 timothy. 



Lot I consumed larger quantities of food and with greater 

 relish. Their hay was more palatable, but ordinarily they are 

 not especially fond of gluten feed. The fact is that their ration 

 was not much more palatable on the whole but better balaned 

 and they were consequently in better physical condition. Both 

 lots were given all they would consume, yet lot I, as stated above 

 consumed more food, consequently more nutriments and made 

 cows in lot I off feed, but in lot II frequently some cow was 

 better use of the nutriments onsumed. Seldom vv^ere any of the 

 off feed and at times more than one. 



At the end of the 18 weeks, all the cows in lot I were in good 

 condition. Those in lot II were in very poor condition. They 

 ran doAvn in flesh rapidly from the beginning and about April 1st 

 we seriously onsidered changing their rations and terminating 

 the experiment. 



