Show alfalfa supplies protein source of such a nature as to meet requirements of the I 1 dairy cow alfalfa supplies a most economical source of expensive prot protein elit the portion content of any teed feed purchased on the hie market largely controls the selling price of that feed to get a bag of 31 per cent protein feed menns means tile the spending of about one hundred pounds of protein purchased in the form of alfalfa hay lay nt lit 17 per ton would cost corn pare this with IOU pounds of protein purchased in the lie form of corn chop at 25 2 per ton the cost would be or more than twice ns as much lie hie same amount of protein from a nl falfa hay supply of protein alfalfa hay not only has bus an abundant supply of alsap protein but that protein Is of such a nature as to meet the needs of the dairy cow protein Is a very complicated inal makeup eup not all protein Is available jor for making hide aloof hoot hair horn muscle blood and the proteins of milk protein in alfalfa balances the proteins in other feeds making them more useful to animal nutrition proof of tills this statement was nas made expert mentally by feeding cotton seed meal 13 43 per cent protein protean prot eln with timothy hay resulting in a great loss of protein the same cotton seed meal when fell fed with hay resu resulted I 1 led in assimilation of the greater part of 0 this bupt supt ly of protein ly by the animal supply of minerals A further reason for feeding alfalfa to daily cows lies in the fact that there Is at an abundant supply of min ernis in clear leafy alfalfa the dairy cow needs a tremendous supply of calcium to to produce and reproduce minerals most needed are calcium ani and phosphorous these minerals are found lit in alfalfa hay the fact has beer proven experimentally that alien hen alfalfa hay of good quality Is fed in proper amount with a well balanced ration there Is absolutely no feces necessity ity tor for supplementing further with commercial minerals mineral alfalfa supplies the much needed so necessary for health and gro growth Vi tamine nine A without which there can be no growth or life Is found in abundance in alfalfa hay digestibility and palatability of alfalfa hay round out the reasons tor for feeding the legume crop to dairy cows to get the greatest profits from the dairy herds kansas dairymen are pro iding ten pounds of alfalfa alfil fa hay per day for every IM pounds live weight of cow J C Q nisbet extension dalry man kansas kanins state agricultural college |