The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-01-19
Is USE OF WESTERN FEEDS.
By John T. Game, III,
I1tah A Agricultural COLLEGE.

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The permanency of any system of
agriculture and the ultimate profit de-
rived 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 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 as finished
products.
We of the west have an idea that
other sections being more favored
can do the feeding cheaper and better
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 feeding, 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 pro-
duction of horses. The ruggedness
which most of our western livestock
have, is due to the mountain condi-
tons and to their healthy, out-o f-door
life. The west is we'll 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
1t gives much better results. Timothy
and wild hay are good feeds, especial
ly if procured from our high mountain
valleys and are much wanted for feed
ing horses. Corn fodder can be grown
to advantage nearly everywhere and
makes fine addition to the roughage
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 valuable addition to most ia
tons. The great production secured
with roots in the west, makes us able
to use this feed instead of the succu-
lent silage of the east With this
group Of feeds and the price at which
they can be secured under the aver
age western conditions, there is no
reason why feeding cannot be car
ried on successfully.
In order to get this feeding problem
before you in the best manner, it
will be necessary to go into the prac-
teal side of nutrition to slight ex-
tent. The chemist arranges the sub
stances found in plants that are use
full to animals into several groups. Of
these, protein, carbohydrates, and fats
are the ones which concern us the
most. Protein might be described as
material of the nature of muscle-the
white of an egg is very good exam
Pile. These substances are used in the
bodNfor the building of muscle, bone,
and for making milk. The carbohy
drates 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 pro-
duction 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 or foods are
given in just the right proportion to
supply every want of the animal, we
have what is known as balanced ra-
ton. 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 given
animal to supply all his body wants