The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-12-13
RYE VS.. BARLEY
AS STOCK FEED
EXPERIMENTS PROVE FEEDING
VALUE OF TWO APPROXI-
MATELY EQUAL

NA1ON1 ANA STATE COLIEGE)
Results of carefully planned feed
ing trials at the Montana Agricultur-
al experiment station show that a
good grade of either winter or spring
rye. when constituting 40 to As per-
cent of the grain ration, has ap-
proximately the same feeding value
as a good grade of hull barley for
milk production when fed with al
falfa hay to dairy cows, according
to J. o: Tretsven, extension dairy
specialist.
Because OF a common belief that rye
is MOI palatable and is of inferior feed
ing value, it is not extensively used as
a concentrate for dairy cattle. Some
farmers believe that rye will cause
milking cows to dry up and that it
has a deleteriouS effect upon the quail
ity of butter produced, making it hard
and dry.
In view of these facts feeding trials
we're conducted to determine the rela-
tive value of rye as a grain for dairy
cattle, since it may become an import
ant feed crop in Montana because of
its ability to grow under adverse soil
and climatic conditions. In these trials
the feeding value of rye was compared
with that of hull barley and a study
was also made of the effect of rye
when fed in fairly large amounts in a
we'll balanced ration, upon the quality
of dairy products.
In the first feeding trial during the
winter of 1929-30. IL o we're divided
into two groups as nearly equal rs pos
size. breeding, mount of milk pro-
duced, percentage of butterfat in the
milk, and length of time since fresh
cning. The two groups were fed in
two 42-day periods with seven days
or preliminary feeding at the beginning
Of each period. Both groups received
all the good alfalfa hay they would
consume and approximately equal
amounts of grain. The only difference
in the two rations was that one con-
tanned 40 percent of ground spring rye
Of good quality and the other an equal
percentage of ground hull barley of
like grade.
An accurate record was kept of all
feed given and the feed refused. To
co~lnterbalance any difference that
might exist in the productivity Of the
two groups of COWS the rations were
reversed at the end of the first period.
Each animal was weighed for three
DAYS at the beginning and end of each
feeding period. The average of these
weights was used to obtain an accurate
measure of the gain or loss in live
weight. The milk and butterfat pro-
drced by each COW was also deter
mined.
A study of the records at the close
of the trial revealed that when the
cows were fed the barley ration they
made a slightly greater gain in live
weight and produced slightly less milk
than when fed the rye ration. The diff
ference. however. was so small that the
results of the trial indicate that rye
is practically equal to barley when fed
according to the plan of this expert
ment. No difficulty was experienced in
getting the cows to eat the rye mix
tUre even though six pounds or more
was fed daily to some high producers.
The milk from the two groups was
kept separate and the cream therefrom
churned. The butter from the rye-fed
cows was found to he fully equal in
to that of the barley-fed COWS. i
while buttermilk from the rye seemed
be of better flavor than that from
the barley.
The feeding trials were repeated dur
ing the winter of 1933-34 to further
the value of the two grains and
the results of this second feeding trial
with the first in that rye
proved to be practically equal to the
barley in feeding value.
A similar feeding trial was conduct
ed with dairy heifers and the results
showed that ground rye when fer with