ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 263 



carbohydrates to bring the nutrients up to the amount required. 

 Adding one pound each of corn meal, ground oats, and linseed 

 meal, we have ration D, which is a good economical ration, and 

 fulfills the desired requirements. 



Ration D. 



Digestible Nutrients. 

 Carbohy- 



Protein. drates. Fat, 



Lb. lb. lb. lb. 



Clover hay 8 .54 2.86 .14 



Corn silage 40 .36 4.52 .28 



Corn meal 5 .39 3.34 .22 



Ground oats 5 .46 2.36 .21 



Linseed meal 1 .29 .33 .07 



Total nutrients in ration 2.04 13.41 .92 



Nutrients required for a 1,000 lb. 



cow giving 30 lb. 4% milk 2.10 13.48 .58 



Balanced Ration. 



If the protein and the carbohydrates are in such proportion 

 as will best suit the needs of the animal, the ration is said to be 

 balanced. If the amount of protein in the ration is small in pro- 

 portion to the carbohydrates the ration is called wide; if the 

 amount of protein is large in proportion to the carbohydrates, 

 the ration is called narrow. 



Since the needs of different animals vary greatly, it will be 

 seen that a ration which is balanced for one animal or class of 

 animals may be decidedly too wide or too narrow to be econo- 

 mical for another class. Young and growing animals and cows 

 producing a large flow of milk require a much larger proportion 

 of protein, or in other words a narrower ration, than animals 

 after they have completed their growth, or cows when giving a 

 smaller flow of milk, or entirely dry. The difference in the 

 amount of protein required by cows giving large and small flows 

 I of milk may be seen by referring to Table 1. 



In feeding dairy cows, several things must be considered be- 

 Isides the amount of digestible nutrients contained in the feed. 



