The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1911-12-14
&
USE OF WESTERN FEEDS

agriculture and the ultimate profit
derived from it are dependent to a
great extent on the marketing of the
crop. Where everything is sold and
nothing returned to the soil farms
soon run down and the farmer does
not reap the largest profit, the mid
die men getting the lions share. The
farm should be run like any 9TH
er manufacturing plant where the
raw materials are worked over and
marketed only as finished products.
We of the west have an idea that
other sections being more favored
can do the feeding cheaper and bet
ter than we IAN. If, however, we
look closely into this subject, we find
that the west has many advantages
over nearly any other section in this
line. The climate is ideal for feed
ing, the altitude makes for good
strong feeds and for good lungs, the
soil makes good feet and bone in our
livestock. The last pertains mostly
to the production of horses. The rug
gedness which most of our western
livestock have, is due to the noun
tain conditions and to their healthy
out-of-doOr life. The west is well
y WIN AC0A, a. We nave oAAaA
fa-the best hay in the world
grown here to perfection. With this
hay good results can be obtained in
feeding nearly any class of livestock
though of course with some grain is
necessary and with all it gives much
better results. Timothy and wild hay
are good feeds, especially if procured
from our high mountain valleys and
80 -,..1- ~-.ntal far r1rIfnn hOV-
es. Corn fodder can he grown to adj
vantage nearly every where and
makes a fire addition to the rough
age Of most any ration. The western
grains are all superior and wheat
and its by-products can be used to
good advantage here. Barley and
oats are especially useful in feeding
horses, dairy COWS and beef. Roots,
though very little used as yet, can
be grown in great abundance in this
section and make a valuable addition
to most rations. The great produc-
tion secured with roots in the west
makes us able to use this feed in
stead of the succulent silage of the
east. With this group of feeds and
the price at which they can be Sc
cured under average western condi-
tions, there is no reason why feeding
cannot be carried on successfully.
In order to get this feeding prob
lem before you in the best amer it
will be necessary to go into the prac-
tical side of nutrition to a slight ex-
tent. The chemist arranges the sub
stances found in plants that are USE
full to the animals into several
groups. OF these. protein, carbohy-
drates, and fats are the ones which
concern US the most. Protein might
be described as material of the ma
ture of muscle@the white Of an egg
is a very good example. These sub
stances are used in the body for the
building of muscle, bone, and for
making milk. The carbohydrates are
best described as materials like
or sugar. though in the plant
crude fibre and other materials are
also included. This group is used in
the animal body for the produc-
ton of energy and fat. Fats are used
for the production of energy and fat
but are very much more valuable
pound for pound than the carbohy-
1rates. A certain proportion of each
Of these is needed every day to keep
up the work of the animal body.
When these constituents OF foods are {
given in just the right proportion to
every want of the animal, we
a Y what is known as a balanced i
By ration we mean the {
mount of feed required for an ami
nal for one day. So balanced ra- q
ion means the correct proportion of a
eed for a given animal to supply'a all q
is body wants for "a hours. For in a
lance, the dairy COW producing 20
POUNDS of milk requires about ~ p
POUNDS Of digestible protein. 13 "
POUNDS of digcstible carbohydrates, /
nd $40 of a pound of fat for each I
.ay. This would be applied approx e
by feeding % pounds of al p
alta with a few pounds of grain. BY b
he digestible material in the feed d
e mean the amount that can be used n
Y the animal, as there is consider d
BILE that cannot be digested and as q
inflated, and so is OF no use. The t.
roportion of feeds used differs of h
purse with the age, breed and type IL
f animal, so no definite and bind ii
lg law can be laid down as to b
mounts to be fed to all. 1t is not u
ecessary that you always figure out is
lch ration in this exact manner, but a
e should know in a practical way Il
hat the feeds contain. If VIC feed Al
! alfalfa, there is an excess of pro- rl
in, which is a waste to some ex- e.
mt, but if we add some corn the p'
eds balance, as corn is rich in car ia
0~hydrates and poor in protein. If
e feed barley alone, the proportion tt
fat and carbohydrates will be in fe
Icess and so this feed would not pi
lpply the requirements in an ami e1
In order to balance it, then, BIZ
eds like wheat, bran, or shorts or oN
falfa would have to be used. Among 70
e feeds rich in protein, we have al ed
lfa. clover, bran, shorts, peas and IN
im-milk. Among the carbohy- ar
ate feeds, we have timothy, wild Oh
", corn, barley, oats, sugar beets, al
As a rule feeds from the last an
CUP should be fed with some from mi
e first, and vice versa, as this will pr
I'd to make the proportions more
arly right and would more nearly We
nulv fha noodc of fbq animal ifat