The Bossier banner., 1892-02-25
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FEED FOR DAIRY COWS.

MayConprise the Ration Inteliigently
Discussed.
Prof. II. j. Waters. of the Missouri
Agricultural college, writes as follows
in Coln&sss Rural World:
have Your questions asked for q
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 a 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 a
general way.
i shall present few fundamental
facts, however, which will apply as
fully to our case as to his, thus an
swering your questions as 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
l. The feeding value of corn and cob
meal is very high. For sections where
the corn meal does not cost more than
SO per ton, we can not afford to make
up ration without having this food as
part. In the corn-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 corn and
corn fodder. Yet it is not complete
food in itself. except when fed at
great loss. ! mean that, while it fur
nishes certain part of the necessary
constituents of a stock food in great
abundance, it is greatly 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 as 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 q
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. If 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
| nd hou
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 for
nearly two gallons of milk But owing
| to the deficiency of one group the yield
was one gallon. These facts are, per-
haps, old to many of your readers, yet
they are fundamental facts-broad
truths upon which the science of ami
NAL nutrition rests, and it will be well
to repeat them until every farmer is
forced to give them attention.
Corn and cob meal furnish of digesti-
bic nutrients, l pound of albumin
oids to every 0 or 10 pounds of
carbohydrates. It has been deter
mined by long line of experiments
and practical experience, that ratio
between these two groups of about !
to, 6, instead of l to or 10, as
in the corn and cob meal, gives the
most economical results in milk and
butter. If timothy hay alone is fed we
have n ratio of l to Ia 1t is quite
clear, therefore, that we must seek a
food which supplies this deficiency in
albuminoids, or that contains this
group of substances in greater abun.
dance than is even required for eco
nomical butter production in order
to bring mp the corn meal, corn fodder
or timothy hay to a more perfectly
balanced ratio. Cotton-seed meal doe:
this with ratio of to A. which yor
readily see is much too narrow of itself
If fed alone there would be waste O.
albuminoids instead of the carbo
hydrates as shown in feeding corn o.
timothy hay. Oil cake is another foot
suited to this purpose, and gives ratic
of to 30. Wheat bran is rich in th,
materials we desire, and has ratio O
to 4. Pea meal, to 3.2.
Enough has been said to indicate tt
> what extent this combination of food
can be carried in dairy feeding alone t,
the profit of the feeder.
9. Coming to the more practical phase
of the subject, 1 will give few comb
nations which will approximate in com
position and amount an ideal ration. II
a single article it will be impossible t.
cover the subject except in very brie
and general way.
Using corn and cob-meal as the basi
for the Alabama subscriber. shoul
i recommend ration about as follows
. The amounts given are on the basis q
a thousand-pound COW, but must b
j varied with individuals, since some COW
. have the capacity of digesting and cor
verting into milk much create
= quantity of food than others of tn
same breed and live weight Again
) it is not expected that the fec
er will go to the expense of weighin
out just the number of pounds of cac
ingredient nominated in the ration cac
I time he feeds. Careful and inteIliger
observation, with good Judgment an
common sense, will soon indicate