Show An Animals Need Protein in Feed By Ben Lindsay County Agent The early start of winter has most stockmen concerned about the feed supply I With considerable roughage dry grass shrubs etc avail avail- available able they look to other feeds to supplement the animal diet ALFALFA HAY is one of the best feeds available for livestock feed However when it is unavailable un- un unavailable available or very expensive stockmen should consider other sources of protein or energy feed At the present market prices 41 per cent cotton seed meal is isas isas as cheap per pound of digestible I protein as any of the feeds Al- Al Alfalfa Alfalfa falfa or protein pellets 32 per peri percent percent i cent protein are next in line Barley and corn com silage are valuable feeds but they like many others are not high in indigestible indigestible digestible protein Barley is high in other nutritive values and corn com silage is a good roughage or source of heat and energy food Experiments have shown that corn silage is excellent rough rough- roughage roughage age for carrying cows through the winter Cattle that are being wintered on corn silage rough rough- roughage roughage age in the field and some hay haydo haydo do much better if small amounts of protein supplement are arc add add- added ed A 1000 Ibs cow required 7 to 9 of a lb of protein per day If protein is lacking the amounts of carbohydrates digested may be seriously rea re One of the reasons for poorer digestion of feed on a low protein ration is that when a large proportion of easily diges diges- digested ted carbohydrates is fed those bacteria in the digestive tract which normally digest fiber to secure food then attack instead the more available sugars or starch As a result protein should be available for healthy bones muscles nervous systems terns skin wool hair and the skeleton The of feed should be considered Some feeds are more easily utilized by animals than other more fibs lib lib- erous feeds Barley is 77 percent digest able compared to average alfalfa alfalfa fa hay at 50 per cent Therefore barley for total dig dig- estable energy is worth one and one half times as much as alfalfa alfalfa I fa Barley is only 85 85 percent I protein as compared to alfalfa at 10 to 12 per cent protein The 32 per cent protein pellet is a priced feed considering the feed value of the pellet plus ease of handling transportation and consumption However pellets should be fed fedin fedin in troughs on a clean hard bard sur sur- sur surface face |