The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-01-26

u
so this feed would not supply the ne
quirements in an animal. 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 alfalfa, clover, bran
shorts, peas and skim-milk. Among
the carbohydrate feeds, we have tim.
othy, wild hay, corn. barley, oats,
sugar beets, etc. AS a rule, feeds
from the last group should be fed
with some from the first and vice
versa, as this will tend to make the
proportions more nearly right and
would more nearly supply the needs
Of the animal.
A narrow ration is one in which
the proportion of protein Is large
when compared to the amount of
carbohydrates and fats. For exam
pie, alfalfa fed alone would make
what is called narrow ration A
wide ration is one in which the pro
portion of carbohydrates and fats is
large when compared with the
amount of protein. For example,
corn alone would make a very wide
ration.
In feeding our young animals, we
find that as the age increases the
amount of feed necessary to make "a
pound of gain increases very much.
The cheaper gains are made while
the animal is young, and for this
reason success generally comes to
the man who keeps everything grow
ing from babyhood up. It costs con.
siderable more 70 get an animal back
in shape after it has once lost the
young fat than it would have done
to have kept him growing. An ami
NAL can lose five or ten times more
in one day than can be put back on
in the same time, and for this reason
one days starving or other poor con-
d11ons means a great loss to the
average farmer. We cannot expect
to have exactly two animals grow
where one has grown before, but we
ought to get the animals much
larger at the same age than we are
in the habit of doing in this section.
Remember always then to be a little
lenient with feed for the young stock,
as there is no time that SO much can
be made from feed as while the ami
mails are young.
In feeding for breeding animals or
just for growth, we should be very
careful to supply food that will make
for plenty of bone and mnscle, and
this we get from our protein feeds
such as alfalfa. Do not feed your
breeding animals too much, especial
~ of a concentrated fattening feed,
but give them enough to keep them
in good healthy condition. This does
not mean skin-poor, the condition
that we find so many of cur western
animals in, but means that they are
in such shape that all of the func-
tons of their body are working in
normal condition. In feeding for
market, the fattening foods can be
used to a greater extent, and one
does not have to be so careful about
the proportion of muscle and bone
building material The west has a
habit of sending their animals to the
markets in just half fat condition,
and as such they are always sold at
reduced prices. If more care would
be taken to have everything in good
shape, greater profits could be real
lied with practically all of our live
stock. Horses, for instance, are
aftap SoI5 uhav IN fbin ao-5;+;...
and the buyers feeding them a few
dollars worth of grain add from s25
to $50 to their value. This could be
done just as well by the farmer him
self, thus realizing a good deal better
profit for his livestock.
In feeding beef cattle in the west,
We need but little in the way of
barns, though an open shed has
some advantages. as it keeps out the
wet and excessive cold. With alfalfa
hay, we have found that but very
little grain is necessary In order to
make good gains with beef steers.
In experiments conducted at the
Utah station, gains of nearly two
pounds day were secured on an
average OF about four pounds of
grain when fed with alfalfa. At 81
a ton for the alfalfa and about s22
for the grain. fairly cheap gains were
made, and If animals were purchased
and sold in good way. profit could
be made from this business. Wild
hay is also a good feed for beef
cattle, especially If some grain can
be fed in conjunction. In some sec
tons, however, notably along the
Bear river, profitable feeding is car
ried on every winter with hay alone.
The cheapest gains ever reported in
feeding wheat for beef were made in
the west when alfalfa and beet pulp
were used. If the farmer can get
hold of beet pulp and feed it with
good hay, he would find remarkable
good gains can be made and at a
good profit One thing we should
get over in our western beef bust
ness is feeding our steers until they
are three or four years old. as the
profits are generally much larger
when the animals are sold at younger
ages.
CONTINUED Next Week.
Gave Himself Away.
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