BREEDING FARM ANIMALS 25 



practice, but hog-feeding experiments conducted in Canada and the 

 United States for the purpose of comparing the merits of cooked and 

 uncooked grain all show an actual loss from cooking. There was a saving 

 of labor and larger gains for uncooked feed. 



The grinding of grain for farm animals will depend upon the kind and 

 price of grain and the animals to which it is to be fed. Small grains, such 

 as wheat, barley and rye, should always be crushed or ground before they 

 are fed. The kernels of these grains are hard and some of it, if fed whole, 

 will pass through the system of an animal without being masticated or 

 digested. There is a saving of about six per cent in feeding value of corn 

 when fed ground or cracked instead of whole. Generally speaking, when 

 corn is worth more than 75 cents per bushel, it will pay to grind it or have 

 it cracked for all classes of farm animals, except when fed to cattle where 

 hogs follow in the feed lot. 



Feeding Condimental Stock Feeds. The feeding of proprietary stock 

 foods or condition powders should be avoided. These preparations usually 

 cost from ten to thirty cents per pound and contain nothing that cannot 

 be secured by using standard feeds. They are usually made up of ground 

 screenings, weed seeds, bark of trees, a little oil meal, and such materials 

 as charcoal, copperas, epsom salts, etc. The feeding of such "foods" will 

 do more harm than good. When animals are out of condition, the addition 

 of a little oil meal to the regular feed will usually give fully as good results. 

 Salt, usually found in these preparations, should always be supplied to 

 farm animals in liberal amounts. 



Care of the Breeding Herd. The breeding herd must be properly 

 cared for if the best results are to be secured. It is not necessary to keep 

 the animals fat, but they should be kept in a thrifty condition, so that they 

 can supply the nutrients necessary to properly develop their young during 

 the gestation period. Breeding animals should have exercise, plenty of 

 nutritious feed and good water. They should be fed largely on farm- 

 grown feeds where the right kind can be produced cheaply. 



Care of Work Animals. The term work animals applies usually to 

 horses and mules. These animals are the principal beasts of burden in the 

 United States and Canada. The best results can be secured only through 

 proper feeding and care. Work horses and mules should receive the largest 

 portion of grain ration during the morning and noon meals, and be allowed 

 the bulk of their roughage at the evening meal. The reason for this is 

 that the horse and mule do not possess large stomachs, and thus cannot 

 carry a large amount of bulky feed without seriously interfering with their 

 ability to work. The amount of grain and roughage to supply depends 

 upon the work that is being done. For a horse doing heavy work, about 

 1J4 to 1^/2 pounds of grain to 100 pounds liveweight daily should be allowed, 

 and approximately the same amount of roughage. This amount should 

 be reduced to about one-half the regular allowance when the horses stand 

 idle over Sunday or any other day. Over 90 per cent of all cases of azoturia 



