1632 HORSES 



1.2 : i.o. The oats were of excellent qualit}', but the maize scarcely up to 

 the average. 3.67 forage units of maize were replaced by 3.75 units of 

 oats. The maize ration contained on an average 3.6 kgs. (7.9 lbs.) and 

 the oats ration 4.3 kgs. (9.5 lbs.) per head per day. There were six 

 horses and two experiments lasting 49 to 77 days. 



From the results it is concluded that if the maize ration does not exceed 

 50 per cent of the total ration of concentrated food, and if the maize is finely 

 ground before being given to the horses its forage value is 20 per cent higher 

 than that of oats. Thus oats can be replaced by maize in the proportion of 

 1.2 : 1.0. 



IV. Oat bran and a mixture of oats and barley. — From the oat mills 

 of Sweden a bran is obtained which before the War was largely exported. 

 Export now being forbidden, this has to be utilised in the country, and it 

 is of interest to learn its forage value. Previous experiments made with 

 cows proved that i kg. of oats bran is equivalent to i forage unit. 



The writer's experiments were intended to determined whether this 

 bran is as valuable for horses as for cows. A mixture of barley and oats was 

 employed as a standard of comparison. The four experiments lasted 55 

 to 90 days each and were made on 17 horses each receiving up to 3 kg. 

 (6.6 lbs.) of oat bran per day. The experiments showed that when i kg. 

 (2.2 lbs.) of the mixture was replaced by 1.42 kgs. (3.1 lbs.) of bran, the lat- 

 ter did not give the expected result, but if the ratio was smaller a better 

 result was obtained. For the group fed with oat bran a better mean expe- 

 rimental result was obtained than for the group fed with the mixture, and 

 it may be concluded that in practice 1.8 kg. (4 lbs.) of oat bran is equi- 

 valent to I forage unit. Oat bran is not a better food for horses than for 

 cows Not more than 4 kgs. (8.8 lbs.) per head per day should be given. 



V. Mixture of barley and oats, and the mixed food " Gota ". — The low, 

 forage value of oat bran together with its high content of raw cellulose 

 have induced the manufacturers to improve its quality by the addition 

 of rice meal. This mixed food (60 per cent oat bran and 40 per cent 

 rice meal) This is sold in Sweden under the name of " Gota ". Feeding 

 experiments made with cows and pigs have shown that 1.5 kgs. (3.3 lbs.) 

 of Gota is almost equivalent to i kg. (2.2 lbs.) of barley or i.i kgs. 

 (2.4 lbs.) of the mixture of oats and barley' . 



In the experiments with horses 1.5 kgs. (3.3 lbs.) of Gota were replaced 

 by I.I kgs. (2.4 lbs.) of the mixture of barley and oats. Two experiments 

 were made lasting from 82 to 84 days ; eight horses were employed to 

 which a ration of 3.85 kgs. (8.5 lbs.) of Gota was given per head per day, 



vSomewhat the better results were obtained with the group which had 

 been fed with Gota, but in general the two forages can be described as equi- 

 valent. According to the writer, Gota is an excellent food for horses, but 

 it must be of good quality and nmst not contain more than 16 per cent of 

 raw cellulose. 



VI. Barley and potato flakes. — The experiment was made to determine 

 the forage value of these two materials for horses. Two kgs. (4.4 lbs.) of 

 barley were first replaced with 2 kgs. (4.4 lbs.) of flakes, then with 2.5 kgs. 



