A STUDY OF RATIONS FED TO MILCH COWS, 109 
Ration No. 6 is low in protein and high in potential enérgy. 
The nutritive ratio (8.1) is greater than that of any of the rations 
which have preceded it. It will be observed that half the grain 
was corn meal, a feed relatively rich in the carbonaceous ingredi- 
ents (fats and carbohydrates) and deficient in protein. Oat hay 
contains rather more protein than ordinary hay does. Hence 
the daily use of five pounds of oat hay made this ration better 
than it otherwise would have been. In each of the suggested 
rations (B and C) good hay was omitted. The digestible protein, 
the fuel values and nutritive ratio and cost of rations B and C are 
practically the same. A change from such a ration as A to B or 
C, or other narrow rations, should be made gradually. These sug- 
gested rations would probably be better if part of the cotton seed 
meal were replaced by gluten or linseed meal. 
Daily Ration per tooo Pounds Live Weight Actually Fed to Herd 
Vo. 7, and Suggested Rations. 










As FED. SUGGESTED CHANGES, 
RATION No. 7. =; 
A. B. (Gre 
adn. § Ground oats, - 2.8 pounds. — 2.0 pounds. 
oH Cotn meal) —*. 5.7 pounds. 3.0 pounds. | 4.0 pounds, 
Wheat middlings, - - 5.6 pounds. | 4.0 pounds. | 6.0 pounds. 
(Feri linseed meal, .)- - — 4.0 pounds. | 3.0 pounds. 
Hay, - - - - | 24.4 pounds. | I9.0 pounds. | I1.0 pounds. 
Digestible cee Se - - 2.45 pounds. 2.50 pounds. 2.50 pounds, 
Fuel value, + = - - | 42,600 calories.| 30,000 calories.| 31,000 calories. 
Nutritive ratio, I: - - 8.4 5.6 5.6 
(Postol ration, ~ - - - 30.7) Cents. 30.5 cents. 20.4 cents. 

Ration No. 7, as fed, consisted of hay, middlings and proven- 
der (oats and corn ground together). This ration contained 
about enough digestible protein, but the total fuel value was very 
large. The feeding of 24 pounds of hay made the ration an 
expensive one. In ration B, in order to get sufficient protein, 
linseed meal has been suggested in pretty large amount. It is 
safer to feed four pounds of linseed than the same amount of 
cotton seed, as the cotton seed would contain one-third more 
protein. While the total protein of B is not greatly different 
from that of A, the nutritive ratio is so very different that any 
changes should be made gradually. In both rations B and C, 
good hay is the only coarse food. If stover or oat hay were 
substituted for part of the hay of B and C, the rations would be 
much more economical ones. 
