284 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The foriuatiou of a calculus in the sugar-beet fed ram led to a reiiotitiou of 

 the experiiiieut during 190S-9, the number of rams being increased to 42. A 

 control lot of 11 received hay and grain ; 9 received hay, grain, and corn silage ; 

 11 received hay, grain, and mangels ; and 11 received hay, grain, and sugar 

 beets. The feeding began September 11 and ended April 14. On January 31, a 

 ram of the sugar-beet fed lot died after being sick 1 day ; several calculi too 

 large to pass through the urethra were found in the bladder. On February 11, 

 a ram of the mangel-fed lot died after being sick 2 weeks ; the bladder from 

 this animal was lost, but the kidneys were found to be very soft and friable. 

 February 18, a ram of the sugar-beet fed lot was killed after having been sick 

 for 2 days ; the bladder was found ruptured, highly inflamed, and containing 

 many small calculi. On April 11, a second ram of the sugar-beet fed lot died 

 after a short illness, many small calculi being found in the bladder. 



Thirty-tv\^o of the 36 rams remaining were sent to the packer in Des Moines 

 on April 21, examinations of each carcass and viscera being made at the time 

 of slaughter. The result of this examination is summarized in the popular 

 edition of this bulletin, noted below, as follows: "The kidneys of all the hay 

 and grain fed rams were normal. The bladders of 5 of them were normal, 

 while in the other 4 the bladders were slightly affected. The hearts of all these 

 rams were normal as well as were the livers, gall bladders, and other organs. 

 Of the hay, grain, and ensilage fed rams 6 showed all internal organs entirely 

 normal. In one of the others the kidneys were slightly affected, while the 

 remaining ram showed a slight affection of the bladder. All other organs were 

 normal. Of the 8 rams receiving hay, grain, and mangels, every one had 

 the bladder and kidneys more or less affected, while many of them suffered 

 from affection of some of the other internal organs as well. The same was 

 true of the 7 rams that had been fed hay, grain, and sugar beets. One of these 

 showed a large number of calculi in the calyces of the kidneys." The 4 rams 

 remaining which had been fed in stalls, and whose feed, feces, and urine had 

 been examined for a period covering 100 days were slaughtered at Ames. Their 

 viscera showed the same results that had been obtained from the other rams. 

 The 2 hay and grain fed rams had normal bladders, kidneys, hearts, and gall 

 bladders. A mangel-fed ram had an enlarged bladder and enlarged kidneys 

 with loose capsule. The kidneys were mottled and stained, (Tf soft texture and 

 pale color. The heart and gall bladder were enlarged. A sugar-beet fed ram 

 showed an enlarged ulcerated bladder, and enlarged kidney containing a small 

 calculus, and an enlarged heart and gall bladder. 



The effects produced by adding sugar beets or mangels to a ration of hay and 

 grain are discussed at length as to the digestibility and retention of dry matter, 

 the gains made, the dressing percentages, the composition of the body, and of 

 individual muscles, the organs of the body, the kidneys as to the large excretion 

 of water and solids, the general progress of the disease, and the metabolism of 

 nitrogen. Notes on the experiments follow. A summary and conclusions are 

 considered in the popular edition noted below. 



Do mangels and sugar beets cause kidney and bladder stones? (loicn 

 Sta. Bui. 112, jxjp. cd., pp. 3-11, figs. .'/). — The summary and conclusions drawn 

 from the investigations above noted are ivesented in this edition. 



" While mangel-fed rams digested 11.10 per cent more dry matter than the 

 dry-fed animals, they retained only 3.32 per cent more. That is. they lost 

 through the kidneys 8.47 per cent more of the dry matter taken into the liody 

 than did the dry-fed rams. In the same way the sugar beet-fed rams lost 3.80 

 per cent more dry matter than did the dry-fed rams. This increased loss of dry 

 matter is due to the leaching effect of the inci'eased amount of water contained 

 in the roots. 



