
A STUDY OF RATIONS FED TO MILCH COWS. LOF 
-carbohydrates, so that the fuel values of the two are about the 
same (1,400 calories per pound). The ration, as fed, contained 
nearly eight pounds per day of potatoes. Potatoes are not very 
valuable as a feed for the actual nutrients which they contain. 
They are popularly supposed to have some physiological action 
aiding digestion, etc., which is not shown by their chemical 
composition. It may be that as large weights of cotton seed and 
gluten as were here used can be safely fed, but so heavy a ration 
as this would demand careful attention of the feeder to avoid 
milk fever and other diseases incidental to high feeding. The 
suggested rations (B and C) are much smaller than A, though 
their nutritive ratios are about the same. If one-sixth less of 
each of the ingredients of ration A were fed, the ration would be 
much like B and C in total protein and fuel value. The use of 
less hay and more stover in rations B and C make them cost less 
than ration B, even after reducing the size of A one-sixth. 
Daily Ration per tooo Pounds Live Weight Actually Fed to Herd 
Vo. 4, and Suggested Rations. 










As FED. SUGGESTED CHANGES. 
RATION No, 4. 
A. B. C; 
Wheat bran, - “ - | 3.7 pounds.| 6.0 pounds. | 5.0 pounds. 
Cotton seed meal, - - I.5 pounds. | 3.0 pounds. | 3.0 pounds. 
Corn and cob meal, - - 5.4 pounds. —_— 5.0 pounds. 
Hay, - - - - - | 21.4 pounds. | 3.0 pounds.| 5.0 pounds. 
Stover, - - - - g.I pounds. | 20.0 pounds. | 15.0 pounds. 
Digestible protein, * : 2.60 pounds. 2.50 pounds. 2.50 pounds, 
Fuel value, - - - - | 39,800 calories.| 31,300 calories.| 31,300 calories. 
Nutritive ratio, I: - - 7.0 5.6 5.6 
Cost of ration, - - Anse ORNs: 20.3 cents. 25.7; cents, 


‘Ration No. 4, as fed, contains a little more protein than called 
for by the tentatively suggested ration, and its fuel value (nearly 
40,000 calories) is far in excess. The nutritive ratio is wider 
than it is probably profitable to feed. This ration contained over 
21 pounds of hay, which made it expensive, costing about 34 
cents per 1,000 pounds live weight per day. Each of the sug- 
gested rations B and C contains much less hay than A, and the 
grain is used in such quantities as to make the total ration con- 
tain about 2% pounds of protein and 31,000 calories of potential 
energy. The cost of these suggested rations is much less than 
that of A. It would not be wise to make a sudden change from 
such a ration as A to either B or C or other narrow ration. 
