282 PRODUCTIVE FEEDING OF FARM ANIMALS 



she should receive some succulent feed; good pasture is the ideal 

 feed, but some roots or good, bright silage are valuable substitutes, 

 and with oats, rolled barley, or wheat bran will favor the milk secre- 

 tion. If this should be too rich or abundant and cause the foal to 

 scour, he is allowed only a portion of the milk, and the last part 

 is milked out, as this is always high in fat content, which is generally 

 the cause of the trouble. 



In case the foal cannot have the dam's milk, he may be raised 

 successfully on fresh, warm milk from a healthy cow, preferably one 

 giving milk of a low fat content. This is diluted with an equal 

 part of warm water so as to bring the fat content down to the low 

 per cent found in mare's milk (p. 206) ; sugar and a little lime 

 water are often added, but are not necessary. Raising a colt by the 

 bottle requires a great deal of care, patience, and watchfulness, and, 

 fortunately, is only necessary in exceptional cases. The suckling 

 foal may be fed some sweet skim milk in five or six weeks and the 

 amount gradually increased daily until in about three months it 

 may be given freely three times a day in the place of new milk. At 

 this age the foal will eat some grass, hay, or whole oats, which 

 gradually become the more important part of his diet. Skim milk 

 is continued so long as convenient during the first year. This, 

 with grain and other feed that he receives, will develop his bone 

 and muscles, which is a matter of first importance with the horse. 

 He is kept on pasture (preferably blue-grass) and given oats mixed 

 with wheat bran and a little cracked corn. According to Henry, 

 the following amounts may be considered a fair allowance of grain 

 for foals: Up to one year, two to three pounds per day; one to two 

 years, four to five pounds ; two to three years, seven to eight pounds. 3 



System of Feeding Horses. There are great differences in 

 the methods of feeding horses adopted by horsemen and farmers 

 as to details in the manner of feeding, and no one method can 

 give best results under all conditions and with different kinds of 

 horses. The special method adopted must fit in with the working 

 hours and the work the horse is required to do. It is generally 

 considered necessary to feed the horse three times a day, although 

 the noon meal is sometimes omitted without apparently impairing 

 the working capacity of the horse. The heaviest meal, so far as 

 hay is concerned, is given at night, the morning meal being next in 

 amount, and the noon meal smallest, as he has then less time to 

 eat; at least one-half hour is allowed after the morning and noon 



3 "Feeds and Feeding," 10th ed., p. 291; see also Alexander, "Care of 

 the New-Born Foal," Wisconsin Circulars 13 and 61. 



