42 FARM ANIMALS 



are being shed and replaced at intervals until the 

 horse is five years old, it is necessary to take account 

 of the condition of the grain during this period. 

 In Iowa a test was made of the value of grinding 

 different grains for colts, with the results that some- 

 what greater growth was obtained when oats, corn, 

 barley and wheat were ground. It is a curious 

 fact that in localities where grain is cheap the farm- 

 ers as a rule do not expend any energy in grinding 

 grain for horses, while in New England and the 

 more thickly settled parts of the country with high 

 prices for grain, additional expense is usually in- 

 curred in grinding or otherwise preparing the grain 

 for the horse. It is the belief held by most horse- 

 men that the increased digestibility and food value 

 of the grain after grinding somewhat more than 

 pays the expense of grinding. A further test of the 

 matter in Utah, however, showed no advantage in 

 grinding grain for horses. Naturally the question 

 must be left with each individual to be judged ac- 

 cording to the hardness of the grain and to the 

 condition of his horses, particularly with reference 

 to their teeth. 



Cooked vs. Raw Grains. Certain grain mix- 

 tures are rendered much more readily available for 

 horses by cooking or steaming. The relative di- 

 gestibility of cooked and uncooked grains, however, 

 has not been determined with any great accuracy. 

 In some cases cooked grains appear to be less diges- 

 tible than the same grains fed in the natural con- 

 dition. As a rule it does not pay to cook any kind 

 of food for farm animals, but certain well-known 

 exceptions occur and these will be mentioned in 

 other places. For horses, for example, it is desir- 

 able to cook potatoes, since otherwise they may 

 cause colic or other digestive troubles if fed in 



