MOUNTED INSTRUCTION S3 



intestine called the coecuni. If i^■i^'en soon after feeding- it will Husii 

 a considerable portion of the food from the stomach before it is 

 snfRciently dii^ested and into the intestines, cansing- indigestion. 

 Watering- should therefore be done before feeding or not until an 

 hour or two afterwards. 



E\-ery precaution should be exercised in the manner of feeding and 

 watering so as to insure the proper action of stomach digestion. 



Food Constituents: They are classified according to the function 

 they perform in the animal system; as follows: 



(a) Flesh making; such as linseed meal, oats, peas, beans, etc. 



(b) Fat, heat, and energy producing; such as corn, wheat, rye, o^ts. 



(c) Bone making; such as grass, hay. bran, bone meal, milk, etc.. 

 (b) Bulk supplying, necessary to digestion (fibrous and woody 



material) ; such as hay, grass, bran, oats, etc. 



(e) Watery; such as carrots, potatoes, green grass, etc. 



There is no one food containing all of the required constituents 

 hence two or more must be combined to obtain the desired ration. 



Natural grasses come nearer to serving this purpose than any other 

 food when animals are at pasture. Similarl}^ for stabled animals, 

 oats are the best grain feed. Other grains which more or less closely 

 approximate oats in food value and which may be substituted if neces- 

 sary are barley, corn, wheat, rye, and rice, all of which, though, must 

 be fed sparingly when first used. 



The Proportions of Various Food Components in a Ration: The 

 components of any ration depend upon : the class and condition of the 

 animals and M^ork required of them ; the variety of valuable foods ; 

 the kind of shelter afYorded ; the climate ; the season ; etc. 



They must be selected in such proportions as to form a balanced 

 ration and fed in such quantities at such hours as to enable the 

 animal to obtain the greatest possible aniount of nutrition from them. 



The army ration of twelve pounds of oats and fourteen pounds of 

 hay with its permissible substitutes as prescribed in Army Regu- 

 lations, furnishes a ration which will generally be found to be sufB- 

 ciently balanced for the service. 



Methods of Preparation of Feed: Object: The object of special 

 preparation of feed is to enable the animal to get the maximum amount 

 of nutriment from it, and for the sake of economy. 



Grain: Grain must be fed clean and free from sticks, stones, and 

 other litter. If necessary it should be fanned or screened, or both. 

 Screening- is easily accomplished by the use of a sieve made by fasten- 

 ing wire screening to a frame. Fanning can be done by dropping loose 

 grain and subjecting it to a draft while falling. 



Crushed of rolled grain is recommended as being much more easily 

 digested and economical than whole grain. It should be fed whenever 

 it is practicable to have the grain crushed. 



Steamed or boiled grain is an excellent conditioner and is used 

 to build up convalescent or poor animals. It can be used to good 

 advantage also for strong, healthy animals, immediately preceding a 



