FARM ANIMALS 25 



stock of any sort. This, however, should not be 

 taken as an attempt to discourage the improvement 

 of farm stock in all possible ways. It is simply 

 a statement of the financial side of practical stock 

 raising. 



FEEDING HORSES 



Horses are fed for quite different purposes than 

 those for which other farm animals are fed, 

 In the United States, horses are raised only ex- 

 ceptionally for the production of meat. The main 

 purpose sought in the horse is work. They must 

 oe fed, however, with materials which produce 

 an increase of weight, especially during growth 

 and during the periods of fattening for market 

 as well as for the production of energy. Energy 

 may be compared with milk, wool, eggs, and other 

 products produced by other animals aside from 

 the mere increase in weight. In order to feed 

 horses or any other farm animals successfully 

 and economically it is necessary to give some heed 

 to preparing and compounding rations. Food 

 stuffs, as is generally known, contain a number of 

 nutritive elements which are referred to in all 

 literature relating to the feeding of animals. We 

 may therefore briefly define the most necessary 

 terms used in feeding. Protein is the general 

 term used to include all sorts of substances in 

 food stuffs which contain oxygen, hydrogen, 

 carbon, and nitrogen in addition to phosphorus, 

 sulphur and other constituents. Substances con- 

 taining protein are also said to be albuminous or 

 nitrogenous on account of the fact that they con- 

 tain nitrogen. The white of the egg, the gluten 

 of flour, and the casein of milk are familiar 

 examples of 



