78 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



ly improved, but the calves have not been as vigorous as 

 where alfalfa or clover hay has formed part of the rough- 

 age. Other roughages high in lime have likewise given 

 satisfactory results, including corn stover and even tim- 

 othy hay and marsh hay, which were higher in lime than is 

 frequently the case, because they had been grown on alka- 

 line soil. From these experiments they advise that rations 

 for dry breeding cows contain at least 0.45 per cent of lime 

 (calcium oxide), and preferably even a larger amount. 



In similar experiments with swine it was found that 

 when brood sows were restricted tc a ration of grain and 

 common salt, many of the pigs produced were dead at birth, 

 even tho the sows drank water which contained consider- 

 able lime. When 15 to 25 percent of alfalfa hay was added 

 to the ration, normal living litters were produced. 



Thejse trials show in a striking manner that in forming 

 rations the calcium content of feeds should be considered. 

 Forage from the legumes greatly excels all other farm- 

 grown feeds in amount of calcium. Milk and the dairy by- 

 products, skim milk and buttermilk, are also very rich in 

 calcium. Tho containing much less than legume hay, the 

 legume seeds in general, and also cottonseed meal and lin- 

 seed meal, are richer than the cereal grains. Straw, root 

 crops, molasses and the cereals and thqir by-products are 

 low in calcium. 



Most of the common feeds which are rich in protein 

 are also high in phosphorus. Therefore, rations which con- 

 tain sufficient protein to meet the feeding standards will 

 usually contain plenty of phosphorus. The cereals and 

 their protein-rich by-products are rich in phosphorus, as are 

 also the various oil meals and cakes, the slaughter-house 

 and fish wastes, and the leguminous roughages. On the 

 other hand, straw, beet pulp, potatoes, and molasses are 

 low in this mineral constituent. 



Formerly it was believed that phosphorus in such or- 

 ganic compounds in feeds as the proteins and the phos- 

 phorus-bearing fatty substances had a higher nutritive 

 value than phosphorus in such materials as ground bone 

 *nd ground rock phosphate, which contain phosphorus in 



