Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-02-09
Value ofStraw for Fodder

The following facts in regard to
the above subject were read before
the Chairman of N. Y. Agricultural
Society by, Mr.. J. S. VanDuzcn:
We can, no doubt, on a prime
article of hay, with good stables
and careful attention, Winter COWS
not in milk and keep them gaining,
but large share Of our hay needs
grain.MHh it. Assuming that we
can keep cows thriving on good
hay, if Ne substitute straw, how
much E4Ssh must we give to keep
up the same thriving condition?
Analysis shows us that in 100
parts af.ayerage wheat straw, there
are thirtY.seven parts of nutritive
matter; while in 100 parts of hay
there are fifty-four parts of nutri-
ment. From this analysis we see
that straw contains about two-thirds
as much nutriment as hay. In other
words a COW should do as we'll on
thirty pounds of straw as on twenty
of hay, but here is the great dificl-
ty in utilizing straw; it is too bulky
the COW won't eat the thirty pounds.
To remedy this difficulty we feed
grain with the straw. In 100 parts
Of wheat there are eighty-seven
parts nutritive matter, while corn
meal is said to be nearly all nutri-
ment you see that wheat bran is
concentrated food when compared
with hay and atraw, and can be
mixed with straw in such proper
tons as to furnish the exact amount
of nutritive and indigestiblc matter
found in a equal weight of hay.
One hundred and fifty pounds of
hay contains eighty-one pounds of
nutriment, while fifty pounds Of
bran and 100 pounds of straw COM
bined, contain eighty-onc of nutri-
ment. The cost Of $50 pounds OF
hay at sls per ton is $l.s5, of SO
pounds OF bran so cents, which
leaves IS cents for 100 pounds OF
straw at ST. per ton. One hundred
and fifty pounds of hay would be
consumed in about seven and halt
days. Assuming that 20 pounds OF
hay is sufficient to keep COW one
day, 100 pounds of straw and fifty
pounds of bran must therefore
keep a COW seven and half days,
which would give about IA pounds
of straw per day and seven pounds
of bran, or about ten and a half
quarts. But if the COW eats as
many pounds of straw together with
the bran as she would hay, you
still have your straw, worth 81 per
ton, for the tw enty pounds of hay.
The daily feed of COW is worth
eighteen cents, and the seven
pounds or ten quarts of bran are
worth seven cents, which leaves
eleven cents a day for the straw.
The statement was made at our
last meeting, that it would take SIG
worth of bran to make a ton straw
equal to a ton of hay. Let us see
what kind of daily feed this would
give. On the supposition that
cow we'll stabbed will consume
about twenty pounds of hay per
diem, a ton Of hay would last one
hundred days. Giving the same
allowance of straw, we must divide
the sixteen hundred pounds of bran
into one hundred parts, each OF
which would be the daily feed Of
the COW requiring in addition to the
straw, to keep her as we'll as on hay
his we readily see is sixteen
pounds day or about twenty-four
quarts. This is of course too low
an estimate Of the value of straw
and grain. 1 have examined the
statements of many experimenters
on the substitution of straw and feed
for hay, and many of them say that
two quarters Of bran with a bushe|
Of cut straw will make it. equal to
the same weight of hay; this they
give as the result Of practical tests