322 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



weight. For the second year the average gain was 264 Ibs., the third, 

 118 Ibs., and the fourth, 76 Ibs., bringing the total at the end of 4 full 

 years up to 1,102 Ibs. These colts made more than half their growth 

 during the first year of their life. 



Hooper of the Kentucky Station 7 reports that Thoroughbred foals at 

 the "Nursery Stud," Lexington, Kentucky, made the growth and gains 

 in weight shown in the following table. The data for both colts and 

 fillies are the average for 10 head. They were foaled from the latter 

 part of February to the end of April. 



Growth of Thoroughbred foals 



Average for 10 colts Average for 10 fillies 



Height Heart Weight Height Heart Weight 



girth girth 



Hands Inches Inches Lbs. Hands Inches Inches Lbs, 



Birth 10 1% 33% ... 10 % 33 



Nov. 1 13 2 55^ 571 13 2 1 A 5Q l / 2 557 



Dec. 1 13 3 1 A 58 629 13 3^ 57^ 609 



Jan. 1 14 M 59 668 14 ... 58^ 653 



Feb. 1 14 1% 60}4 703 14 % 60^ 683 



Mar. 1 14 2 61% 739 14 \Y 2 61^ 710 



Apr. 1 14 2 63^ 780 14 2 62% 760 



Mayl 14 3^ 64^ 833 14 2% 63% 801 



June 1 14 3 l / 2 64% 863 14 3% 65% 848 



Julyl 15 % 65% 922 14 3% 65^ 904 



It will be noted that when about 15 months old the colts averaged 922 

 Ibs. in weight, and the fillies 904 Ibs. On the average the monthly in- 

 crease in height was 1.3 inches and in heart girth, 2.1 inches. 



Data on the gains of 35 draft colts, from high-grade or pure-bred 

 mares averaging 1,700 Ibs. and sired by stallions averaging nearly 2,000 

 Ibs., have been compiled by the Breeder's Gazette. 8 The birth weights 

 of the foals were not reported, but the weights and gains after the first 

 month were as follows: 



Weights and gains of draft foals from birth to two years 



Period W t. at end Daily gain Period Wt. at end Daily gain 



Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 



Birth I month. ... 345 ... 6 7 months . . . . 890 2.0 



12 months 465 4.0 7 8 months . . . . 960 2.3 



23 months 570 3 . 5 8 10 months 1,085 2 . 1 



34 months 675 3.5 1012 months ... 1,170 1.4 



45 months 760 2.8 1218 months .... 1,445 1 . 5 



58 months 830 2.3 1824 months .... 1,590 . 8 



These colts were well fed with the intention of making them as large as 

 their parents. Some were given grain and cow's milk before weaning, 

 while others had only hay and good pasture until after weaning. The 

 figures show that at 12 months a well-fed draft colt weighs more than 

 half as much, and at 24 months about three-fourths as much as at 

 maturity. The daily gains were by far the largest before weaning and 



7 The Thoroughbred Record, July 9, 1921. "Breeder's Gaz., 59, 1911, p. 1223. 



