210 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



(p. 145). By gradually introducing molasses into 

 a ration it is possible to avoid this, and as molasses 

 is such a very valuable material in preventing 

 colic in horses, or diminishing the severity of an 

 attack, it should never be forgotten by those who 

 keep these animals. Moderate quantities only of 

 molasses should be fed; per 1000 Ibs. live weight 

 horses may get 3 Ibs., cows 2-J- Ibs., draught oxen 

 3-4 Ibs., fattening bullocks and sheep 4 Ibs., and 

 fattening pigs 5 Ibs. Animals in an advanced stage of 

 pregnancy are said to show a tendency to abortion 

 when molasses is fed. 



The difficulty of handling such a material as 

 molasses has led to the commercial making of mix- 

 tures with it and some dry food. At the commence- 

 ment the manufacture was limited to beet pulp, and 

 this gave with the molasses an excellent and durable 

 food, but now other materials have been employed. 

 The feeding value of these mixtures is most easily 

 determined where there is only one other food 

 besides the molasses, e.g. dried grains, palm-nut 

 meal, cocoa-nut meal, wheat bran, etc. In such 

 mixtures as these the amount of molasses varies 

 from 50-70%. The palm-nut and cocoa-nut 

 meals which are used in this process have been 

 usually extracted with some solvent, and are not 

 simply ground cake meal, for the latter do not soak 

 up the molasses so well, on account of the oil 

 which they contain. A molasses feed made with 



