The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1912-02-23
Use of Western Feeds


Agriculture and the ultimate profit de-
rived from 1t 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 middle men get
ting the lions share. The farm should
be run like any other manufacturing
plant where the raw materials are
worked over and marketed only as fin-
lshed products.
We of the west have an idea that
other sections being more favored can
DO the feeding cheaper and better
than We can. II. 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 feeding, the
altitude makes for good strong feeds
and for good lungs, the soil makes
good feet and bono In our livestock.
The last pertains mostly to the pro-
duction of horses. The ruggednessN
which most OF our western livestock
have, Is due to the mountain condi-
lions and to their healthy, out-of-door
life. The west is well supplied with
feed, as we have alfalfa-the best hay
In the world-grown here to perfec-
ton. 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. Tim
othy and wild hay are good feeds, es-
pecially il procured from our high
mountain valleys, and are much want
ed for feeding horses. Corn fodder can
be grown to advantage nearly every
where. and makes a fine addition to
the roughage of most any ration. The
western grains are all superior and
wheat and it's 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 sec
ton and make a valuable addition to
most rations. The great production
secured with roots In the west makes
US able to use this feed instead of the
succulent silage of the east. With
this group Of feeds and the price at
which they can be secured under aver
age western conditions, there is no
rSlson why feeding cannot be carried
out successfully.
To %
lem before you in the best manner, It
will be necessary to go into the prac-
teal side Of nutrition to a slight ex-
tent. The chemist arranges the sub
stances found In plants that are use
ful to the animals into several
groups. or these, protein, carbohy-
drates, and fats are the ones which
concern us most. Protein might be
described as material of the nature
of muscle-the white of an egg is a
very good example. These substances
are used in the body for the build
Ing 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 includ-
ed. This group is used in the ami
NAL body for the production of en-
ergy and fat Fats are used for the
production of energy and fat but are
very much more valuable pound for
pound than the carbohydrates. A GER
tain proportion of each of these is
nnp1nA n
work of the animal body. When
these constituents or foods are given
in just the right proportion to supply
every want of the animal we have
what is known as balanced ration.
BY ration we mean the amount of
feed required for an animal for one
day. SO balanced ration means the
correct proportion of feed for a
given animal to supply all his body
wants for twenty-four hours. For in
stance, the dairy COW producing
twenty pounds of milk requires about
two and half pounds Of digestible
protein, thirteen pounds of diges-
tible carbohydrates, and five-tenths
of a pound of fat for each day. This
would be applied approximately by
feeding twenty-five pounds of alfalfa
with few pounds of grain. BY the
digestible material in the feed we
mean 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 binding
law can be laid down as to amounts
to be fed to all 1t is not necessary
that you always figure out each ra-
ticn in this exact manner. but we
should know in "A practical way what
the feeds contain If we feed all al
falfa, there is IA excess of protein,
which is waste to some extent, but
If we add some corn the feeds bal