FARM MANAGEMENT OX IRRIGATED FARMS 
49 
merits are based largely upon estimates of farmers in the area and 
have been reviewed by the department of animal husbandry of the 
State College of Washington. 
Table 25. — Approximate yearly feed requirements for farm animals on Yakima 
Valley farms 
Stock 
Feed 
Yearly feed 
requirement 
Grain _. . .. 
1, 200 pounds. 
Alfalfa hav 
6, 000 pounds. 
Pasture ... 
2Vi months. 
Dairy cows (weighing 1,000 to 1200, pounds; producing 
6,000 pounds of 4 per cent milk). 
Alfalfa hay . 
3, 500 pounds. 
6, 000 pounds. 
Or alfalfa hay (additional).. 
Pasture 
2, 000 pounds. 
7 months. 
Young dairy stock (average for one calf and one yearling) .. 
1.50 pounds. 
Skim milk 
1, 500 pounds. 
Grain . 
300 pounds. 
Alfalfa 
2, 500 pounds. 
Pasture 
Alfalfa hav 
7 months. 
500 pounds 
200 pounds. 
Oats 
Bran . 
45 pounds. 
15 pounds. 
Pasture.. _ 
8 months. 
Sow (with pigs to weaning time, one litter per year) 
Corn 
1, 400 pounds. 
Alfalfa hay 
Tankage. 
200 pounds. 
100 pounds. 
Or skim milk . .. 
1. 400 pounds. 
Pigs (weaning time, 40 to 225 pounds) .. ._ 
Corn. _ _ 
710 pounds. 
Tankage 
Or skim milk ... . 
50 pounds. 
840 pounds. 
Alfalfa pasture 
7 months. 
Hens, per 100 
Oats 
Wheat 
Corn 
Mash 
Milk 
1, 000 pounds. 
2, 000 pounds. 
2. 000 pounds. 
2, 000 pounds. 
1,000 pounds. 
ECONOMICAL FEEDING OF LIVESTOCK 
In the Yakima Valley alfalfa hay and corn, two of the most im- 
portant livestock feeds, are produced abundantly and cheaply on 
practically all farms. Besides these, there are many other cheap or 
waste feeds that are relished by stock and are worth to the farmer just 
what he can get out of such feeds when and where they become 
available. These feeds should therefore play as large a part as pos- 
sible in the feeding of livestock. 
It is a good practice to save the best feeds for stock that are pro- 
ducing milk or being fitted for market. For instance, some dairy- 
men in this area feed their milk cows more alfalfa hay than they will 
eat in order that the cows may pick out more of the leaves and 
small stems and leave the coarser material for horses, sheep, or other 
stock which are merely to be maintained. These alfalfa leaves con- 
tain about nine times as much digestible crude protein as the stems 
and are about equal to bran in total digestible nutrients. When 
alfalfa hay is very cheap and the price of mill feeds high, it probably 
is more economical thus to feed more alfalfa hay. allowing the ani- 
mal to pick out the best, leaving the coarser and less palatable por- 
tions of the feed for the stock which is merely to be maintained 
Pastures are necessary to economical livestock production even 
though the price of the land in this area might at first seem prohibi- 
