ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. jcq 



corn, oats, barley, etc., and mix our grain and roughage as we will, it al- 

 ways follows that we are short in protein. In fact, all the nutrients need- 

 ed by our cows are found in great abundance in all our farm foods, ex- 

 ceping protein. It follows therefore, that we must sell some of our ex- 

 cess carbohydrates and buy mill feed containing a larger percentage of 

 protein, which is found in wheat, bran, oilmeal, glutenmeai, cottonseed 

 meal, etc. Four pounds of corn meal contains .31 of a pound of protein; 

 found pounds of oats .36 of a pound; four pounds of wheatbran .51 of a 

 pound; four pounds of oilmeal 1.17 of a pound, and four pounds of cotton- 

 seed meal 1.48 of a pound. 



Now then, we will assume th at a herd of cowsi are to be fed and the 

 roughage is cornstover. In twenty pounds (all the cow will eat) we only 

 find .34 of a pound of protein. It follows therefore that we must look 

 after the balance of the 2^/4 pounds required in some concentrate contain- 

 ing a large percentage of protein. We will add four pounds of corn meal 

 and get .31 of a pound more, making .65 of a pound and still we find we 

 are short. Adding eight pounds of wheat bran which contains 1.03 and 

 two pounds of oil meal containing .58 of a pound, we find that we have se- 

 cured 2.26 pounds, all that is required for the food of support and a suffi- 

 cient supply for the cow's need in the production of milk for her day's 

 work. It will be well to observe in making use of roughage such as 

 cornstover, where we can secure only .34 of a pound of protein to 6.48 

 pounds of* carbohydrates that the concentrates used must contain a larger 

 percentage of proteini and less of carbohydrates. In making use of corn- 

 meal the carbohydrates run so hight that in eight pounds we only secure 

 .63 of a pound of protein, with .34 contained in the roughage only giving 

 us .97 of a pound where we need 2.25 pounds, and have already made it 

 impossible to secure in any other concentrate the necessary protein as 

 the carbohydrates, are so high it will be difiicult to raise them but very 

 little without producing an abnormal heat and a tendency to increase in 

 flesh, which is objectionable for an animal during the period of lactation. 

 In the twenty pounds of cornstover and eight pounds of cornmeal, we 

 have only .97 pounds of protein to 11.81 pounds of carbohydrates, when 



