Instead of feeding in a haphazard manner, a farmer should know, at least approximately, the cost of producing his homegrown feeds, how to plan his rations in order to use these feeds to the best advantage and how to buy intelligently the feeds on the market. This knowledge will enable him to calculate the most economical ration for the animal that he wishes to feed, whether dairy cow, sheep, horse or beef animal.
A Ration for a Dairy Cow Illustrating the Factors Given.—A ration is desired for a cow weighing 1,000 pounds and yielding daily 30 pounds of milk testing 3.5 per cent butterfat.
The following feeds are commonly used for cows except the skimmilk, tankage and dried blood. They are divided into three groups for convenience in the discussion of rations which follow.
In feeding cows the usual rule is to feed the roughage that is available and to use what concentrates may be available on the farm, buy ing enough others to complete a suitable ration. It will be assumed in this case that there are available clover hay, corn silage and corn-and cob meal. Therefore it will be necessary to select two other concentrates. A good rule is to select for a dairy cow equal parts by weight of high, low and medium protein concentrates in order to provide concentrates that will pro vide sufficient protein. By following this rule the rations could be made up as follows: 10 pounds red clover hay; 30 pounds corn silage; 3 pounds corn-and-cob meal ; 2 pounds wheat mixed feed; 3 pounds gluten feed; 1 pound oil meal. By following these rules in general innumerable combinations may be made under different con ditions of home supply.
A Ration for a Horse Weighing 1,000 Pounds Doing Medium Work.— Observing the general rule given above as to the amount of feed necessary for horses at work the fol lowing is given as a typical ration: 12 pounds timothy hay; 8 pounds oats; 4 pounds corn. Rations for horses do not require as much pro tein as rations for cows. The feeds used are generally limited to timothy, clover, alfalfa and mixed hays and to barley, corn, oats and hominy for concentrates with molasses sometimes added when cheap enough. The only high protein food used in any quantity for horses is linseed oil meal.
Beef Cattle ration is desired for a •,000-pound steer. The following is sug gested: 10 pounds red clover hay; 40 pounds corn silage; 4 pounds corn-and-cob meal; 2 pounds oats (ground) ; 3 pounds gluten feed. As the steer became fatter and nearer the time for selling the silage should be cut down and the amount of corn increased. Practically all of the feeds listed under the ration for a cow can be used for steers. Less of the high pro tein feeds are needed because the gain of pro tein in the body is less than the protein put into the milk.
A Ration for Breeding Ewes with Lambs. —A ewe of the large breeds will weigh about 125 pounds. A pen of eight would make 1,000 pounds. The following ration is suggested for each group of eight to be fed: 12 pounds red clover hay; 25 pounds turnips; 5 pounds ground oats; 5 pounds cornmeal; 3 pounds wheat bran; 1 pound oilmeal. The feeding of milking ewes is practically the same as feeding small dairy cows. Sheep are particularly fond of turnips. If turnips are not available 16 to 20 pounds of corn silage or pea vine silage could be substi tuted. Also it will be noted that less high pro tein feeds are necessary.
In feeding lambs for market it is a general practice to limit the amount of succulent feed a little more than in feeding ewes for milk pro duction. The basis of fattening rations is prac tically always a large percentage of corn grain, which must be supplemented with good rough age and one high protein feed. Legume hays and roots for the roughage and linseed oil meal for the high protein concentrate make an ideal combination with corn in all fattening and growing rations.
A Ration for Fattening It will be assumed that pigs weigh lb pounds each when they are about half fattened for market. It would then take eight of them to weigh 1,000 pounds live weight. The following is suggested as a good ration at this point : 20 pounds corn meal; 16 pounds flour wheat middlings; 2 pounds tankage.
It is intended, in a ration such as the one just given, that the grain shall be fed as a slop mixed with water. The corn might be fed whole. If skimmed milk or buttermilk were available, of course less middlings and no tank age would be necessary. The feeds used for pigs are not so numerous as those used for dairy cattle. The one.thing to avoid in rations for pigs is a feed that is too high in fibre. Brood sows like some succulent feed and will consume rather large quantities of alfalfa or clover hay if it is kept before them in a rack. Through the feeding of hay money may be saved in the purchase of concentrates. In the feeding of pigs and sows in the summer time much larger gains can be made and feed saved if the pigs and sows are kept on good pasture.
Bibliography.—Armsby, H, P., The Nu trition of Farm Animals> (New York 1917) ; Henry and Morrison, and Feeding) (Madison, Wis., 1915) ; The Computation of Rations' (Bul. 321, Cornell University Experi ment Station, Ithaca, N. Y., 1916) ; The Use of Energy Values in the Computation of Rations for Farm Animals' (Bul. 459, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., 1916).