Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993, 1951-04-15
Nutrition Problems
Aired at Meet
By JERRY LESTER
Rosing Reporter

Triton conference WEI be continued IN the Nay /
! issue of Montana Farmer -Stockman.
MARKET VALUES of livestock feedstuffs
are not always accurate indications of feeding
values !. consider constantly changing prices
s.. don't get in the habit of using an unchang
ing feed formula" said DR.. F. B. Morrison,
keynote speaker at the second annual nutrition
conference held at Montana State college, Boze-
man.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Mon
tana Feed Manufacturers and Dealers Assn and
was attended by over 100 ranchers, feed manu-
facturerS, dealers and statesmen. Morrison IS
professor of animal husbandry and nutrition at
Cornell university, and is internationally fam
Gus for his book, Feeds and Feeding" con-
sidered the standard reference on feeding for
animal nutrition.
Conference topics included research reports
on mineral deficiencies, protein requirements,
nutritional diseases, rumen digestion, sugar
beet by-products and irrigated pastures for fat
tening cattle.
Common salt is the only mineral supplement
that dairy cows nearly always need in addi-
ton to the minerals contained in the usual dairy
ration said DR.. Morrison in his report on min
eral and protein requirements of dairy cattle.
In addition to salt, the most likely mineral de-
fciencies are phosphorus and calcium but
these are found only in certain localized areas.
He mentioned that iodine, cobalt and copper
deficiencies are found in some parts of the u. S.
but that there is scientific evidence of nu-
tritional Deficiencies in iron, manganese, zinc,
boron or nickel as far as dairy rations are con-
cerned
Adapt Rations to Prices
This report by DR.. Morrison and another also
presented at the meeting, ssEvaluating Feed
Stuffs," will be presented in more detail in fu-
ture issues of Montana Farmer Stocknan. In
point that, Zone should not get into the habit
of using the same combination of feeds year
after year, regardless of the market prices. Ex-
periments have shown clearly that there is no
one best ration for any class of stock Hence
when feed prices change decidedly, one should
make whatever changes are necessary in his
ratons to take advantage of the new condi-
TONS" He continued by discussing various feed
stuffs in terms of total digestible nutrients and
net energy values with comparisons of price to
show current true worth in dollars and cents.
More Natural Feeds
Morrison suggested that there was much
room for better use of good natural feeds on our
farms rather than looking for "panacea'' and
drugging livestock with anti-biotics (penicillin,
aureomycin terramycin and etc) or other
chemicals
Protein levels in range feeding was discussed
by J. L. Van Horn, associate professor of ami
NAL industry and range management, Bozeman.
4 He presented the second annual progress re-
port on the study of nutritional requirements
of ewes wintered under range conditions. The
findings for the 1949-195O period followed those
Of the first year of the experiment closely, said
Van Horn. The 1000 ewes were divided into
four groups receiving 10, 20, 80 and 40 percent
protein pellets and the control group fed no
pellets. All of the four pellet rations are con-
sidered 'low level' protein feeding programs.
Results showed weights of both ewes and
lambs to be higher in the pellet-fed groups.
More live sets of twins were recorded in all the
pellet-fed groups and up to 10 percent more
live lambs; 3 pounds difference in lamb birth
weight; nearly pound difference in fleece
weights of ewes, and 10 percent higher per-
centage grading staple length" wool Money
returns per eve, less cost of supplement for
the protein fed groups ranged from Sc .66 to