The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-12-22
USE OF WESTERN FEEDS

The permanency of any system OF
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 owe 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 can. 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
supplied with feed, as we have alfal-
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
are much wanted for feeding hors-
es. Corn fodder car he grown to ad-
vantage nearly every where and
makes a fine 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-
ton 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-
tons, there is no reason why feeding
cannot be carried on successfully.
In order to get this feeding prob"
lem before you in the best manner 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 SUBJ
stances are used in the body for the
building of muscle, bone, and for
making milk. The carbohydrates are
best described as materials like
starch 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-
drates. 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
supply every want of the animal, we
have what is known as a balanced
ration. By ration we mean the
amount of feed required for an ami
NAL for one day. So balanced ra-
ton means the correct proportion Of
feed for a given animal to supply all
his body wants for "a hours. For in
stance, the dairy COW producing 20
pounds. of milk requires about IN
pounds of digestible protein, IL
pounds of digestible carbohydrates,
and $40 of a pound of fat for each
day. This would be applied approx
imately by feeding 25 pounds of al
falfa with a few pounds of grain. By
the digestible material in the feed
we mea the amount that can be used
by the animal, as there is consider
able that cannot be digested and as
simulated, and so is of no use. The
proportion of feeds used differs of
course with the age, breed and type
of animal, so no definite and bind
ing law can be laid down as to
amounts to be fed to all. 1t is not
necessary that you always figure out
each ration in this exact manner, but
we should know in a practical way
what the feeds contain. If we feed
all alfalfa, there is an excess of pro-
tein, which is a waste to some OK
tent, but if we add some corn the
feeds balance, as corn is rich in car
bohydrates and poor in protein. If
we feed barley alone, the proportion
of fat and carbohydrates will be in
EXCESS and SO this feed would not
supply the requirements in an ami
NAL. In order to balance it, then,
feeds like wheat, bran, or shorts or
alfalfa would have to be used. Among
the feeds rich in protein, we have al
falfa, clover, bran, shorts, peas and
skim-milk. Among the carbohy-
drate feeds, we have timothy, wild
hay, corn, barley, oats, sugar beets,
etc. AS a rule feeds from the last
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