148 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



and the sooner he realizes this fact the better it will be for his 

 bank account. (The proper use of the head saves both muscle 

 and money.) 



Things To Consider. 



There are many things which should influence the feeder 

 in selecting feeds and working up a balanced ration for his herd. 

 Some of these are given below : 



i. What is the composition of feeds as shown by chemical 

 analysis? Do they contain the materials necessary to support 

 the animal and make milk ? 



2. What feeds can be grown on the farm? 



3. What feeds should be purchased and what is their rel- 

 ative value ? 



4. What is the quality or condition of the feeds to be used? 



5. What is their physiological effect on the animal? 



The above factors will be discussed separately and as plain- 

 ly as possible. 



Composition of Feeds. 



Chemical analysis shows that all of our common feeds con- 

 tain all of the materials needed in the production of milk, but in 

 most cases they are not in the proper proportions for the best 

 results. While the same materials are there, they vary widely 

 in the amounts present as shown by the tables which follow. 

 From the farmer's standpoint, only three of these food materials 

 need be considered because the others are always present in 

 sufficient amounts. These three materials (called nutrients) are 

 protein, carbohydrate and fat. A chemical analysis of milk 

 shows that it contains these materials. The protein in feeds is 

 represented in milk by the curd and albumen, the carbohydrate 

 by the milk sugar and the fat by the butter fat. Besides their use 

 in making milk, they go to build up and maintain the animal body. 



Protein is a compound containing nitrogen, which is so 

 costly in feeds and fertilizers and which can be secured from 

 the air by clover, alfalfa, cowpeas, etc. In the animal body it is 



