276 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



weighed on an average 545 kg. each at the beginning, 

 and after 30-48 days the weight had fallen to 

 518 kg. After this, half the working ration was 

 given, and the average weight after 25-33 days 

 rose to 553 kg. A third of the working ration was, 

 therefore, too little, whilst a half was too much. 

 Then another lot of horses were taken, and on -^ of 

 the working ration an almost perfect equilibrium 

 was established, there being after 30-48 days only 

 an average gain of 8 kg. The ^ of the working 

 ration which was fed consisted per head per day of 

 1250 g. hay, 2500 g. wheat straw, 1250 g. oats, 

 1875 g. maize, 625 g. field beans, and 166 g. wheat 

 bran, all together having a starch equivalent of 

 3254 g. per 500 kg. live weight. 



In a second experiment, with cab horses, the 

 weight remained stationary (433 kg. per horse) 

 when the animals were kept for about two months 

 at rest in the stall on a ration composed of 940 g. 

 hay, 508 g. straw, 1772 g. oats, 380 g. beans, 1308 g. 

 maize, and 260 g. maize cake, together with a starch 

 equivalent of 3364 g. per 500 kg. live weight. 



In a third series of experiments with meadow 

 hay, to which in some cases straw and corn were 

 added, the maintenance requirements were on an 

 average 3312 g. starch equivalent. 



The mean of these various experiments, then, 

 shows that for 500 kg. live weight horses need 3-3 kg. 

 starch equivalent for maintenance, so that an 



