Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-01-14
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FEED FOR DAIRY COWS.


The Value OF Different Articles which |
May Comprise the Ration Inteiligently !
Discussed.
Prof II. j. Waters. OF the Missouri
Agricultural college, writes as follows
in Colman's Rural World:
have your questions asked for a
subscriber at Birmingham, Ala.
!. What is the feeding value of corn
and cob meal?
ii. What other foods should be fed
In connection with it?
III. What amounts of each should
be fed?
am not perfectly familiar with the
conditions under which your subscriber
is laboring, nor with the price of other
foods. To give specific reply these
facts would be necessary. 1t will also
be understood that what will apply to
his own case may not be applicable to
our conditions in Missouri, except in
general way.
| shall present a few fundamental
facts, however, which will apply as
fully to our case as TO his, thus an
swering your questions rs directly as
possible. AT some time in the near
future shall be pleased to consider
the same questions when applied to the
feeding of dairy stock in Missouri.
|. The feeding value of corn and cob
meal is very high. For sections where
the corn meal does not cost more than
$40 per ton, we can not afford to make
up ration without having this food as
part. In the producing belt |
am fully convinced that no cheaper
source Of the fat and heat-producing
constituents of stock foods can be found
than that furnished by Our coru and
corn fodder Yet IT is not complete
food in itself, except when fed at a
great loss mean that, while it fur
nishes a certain part of the necessary
constituents of stock food in great
abundance, it isgreatly deficient in 9TH
ers. In the material used to construct
muscle in the growing animal and make
the casein of milk, or in that group of
substances known rs albuminoids, it is
especially deficient. In addition to
making muscle and casein, this group
probably aids in the formation of but
ter fat. For example, gallon of milk
of average composition will contain n
certain amount of this casein, or to
make this gallon of milk, the COW must
be supplied, in addition to other sub
stances, certain amount of albu-
minoids in the feed, II there is only
enough of this material in the ration
fed your COW to make one gallon OF
milk there will be only that amount
produced. Now, if your ration had been
corn and timothy hay, there would
have been enough supplied the COW OF
the other group of substances alluded
to, or The carbohydrates-fat formers
to have produced the butter fat fol
nearly two gallons of milk. But owing
to the deficiency of one group the yield
was one gallon. These facts are, per
hnps, old to many of your readers, YET
they are fundamental facts-broat
truths upon which the science of ami
nal nutrition rests, and it will be wei
to repeat them until every farmer IL
forced to give them attention.
Corn and cob meal furnish of digesti
bic nutrients, 1 pound of albumin
ODDS to every 0 or 10 pounds Of
carbohydrates. 1t has been deter
mined by long line of experiments
and practical experience, that ratio
between these two groups of about
to 6, instead ri 1 to o or 10, al
in the corn and cob meal, gives tn,
most economical results in milk ant
butter If timothy hay alone is fed w,
have ratio of l to Ia. 1t is quit,
clear, therefore, that we must seek
food which supplies this deficiency il
albuminoids, or that contains thi
group Of substances in greater abun
dance than is even required for eco
nomical butter production in orde
to bring up the corn meal, corn fodde
or timothy hay to more perfectly
balanced ratio. Cotton-seed meal doe
this with ratio of to IA, which yo1
: readily see is much too narrow of itself
If fed alone there would be a waste o
albuminoids instead of the carbo
hydrates as shown in feeding corn o
timothy hay. Oil cake is another foo
suited to this purpose, and gives rati
of to 80. Wheat bran is rich in tn
materials we desire, and has a ratio o
1 to 4. Pea meal, 1 to ~
Enough has been said to indicate T.
what extent this combination of food
can be carried in dairy feeding alone t.
the profit of the feeder.
2. Coming to the more practical phase
of the subject, will give few comb
nations which will approximate in con
position and amount an ideal ration.
|, single article it will be impossible t
. cover the subject except in a very brie
and general way.
Using corn and cob-meal as the bas
. for the Alabama subscriber, / shoul
recommend ration about as follow
The amounts given are on the basis {
, a thousand-pound cow, but must /
: varied with individuals, since some COW
have the capacity of digesting and col
| NClbinR lbbO ihilh u muSh klCubs
quantity of food than others of til
same breed and live weight. Agail
it is not expected that the fee
er will go to the expense of weighir
: out just the number of pounds of eae
: ingredient nominated in the ration eaC
!, time he feeds Careful and intelligel
y observation, with good Judgment al
y common sense, will soon indicate
y him the amount required by his ar
-, mails and the changes in it's compo'
ton that will give him best results.
" Ration l. Corn and cob meal, 8 pound
! cotton-seed meal, 8 pounds; natl
= hay, IS pounds.
y Ration2. Corn and cob meal, pound
pea meal, pounds; pea vine hay,
pounds.
. Ration3 Corn and cob meal, 5 pound
~ peameal, pounds; cotton-seed meal
= pounds; pea vine hay, IS pounds.
~ Ration 4. Corn and cob meal,
. pounds; wheat bran, pounds; cotto
y seed meal, pounds; native hay,