68 THE SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



advisable for animals in advanced pregnacy. The well-filled paunch, 

 when animals lie on the right side, exercises too much pressure on the 

 uterus and its contents. 



For sheep, straw is fed whole, or chaffed in lengths of 1.5 to 2 cm. 

 (3/5 to 4/5 inch). 



The straw of Leguminosae frequently causes constipation and indiges- 

 tion, which is ascribed to the presence of parasitic fungi (plant diseases) 

 and is possibly also due to greedy feeding on this coarse material, and 

 resulting indigestion. These ill effects are most frequently observed 

 following ingestion of vetch, pea and bean straw. Vetch straw in par- 

 ticular is apt to cause constipation in horses and should therefore be 

 fed in moderation and with great care. 



Legume straw is mostly used as sheep and cattle feed. Horses do not 

 like it so well. 



The straw of Camelina sativa (false flax) buckwheat, rape and turnips 

 resemble legume straw in external characteristics and summer cereal 

 straw in nutrient value. It is used and fed like legume straw. Buck- 

 wheat straw is liable to cause the same diseases or disturbances as the 

 green plant (p. 53) or as buckwheat hay (Breitenreiter). Rape straw is 

 liable to cause constipation and flatulent colic in horses. 



3. Chaff and Hulls 



Chaff and hulls are the waste or by-products of the threshing of grains 

 and leguminous plants. They consist mainly of the glumes of the grasses, 

 the awns and the hulls, as well as stems and leaf parts. 



Chaff and hulls are considered useful feeding stuffs, except in the case 

 of barley. The long awns of the latter are frequent causes of injuries 

 to the tongue, gums and pharynx. Barley chaff should therefore be dis- 

 carded altogether as a feeding stuff. The frequent occurrence of the 

 ray fungus {Actinomyces) on the awns of barley make the latter doubly 

 undesirable and dangerous. Since this fungus occurs also on the awns 

 of other species of grain, waste, chaff should not be fed to animals in 

 localities where the disease occurs epizootically, unless first subjected to 

 steaming or scalding. This precaution should also be observed when 

 smut or other fungus infection exists, because many of these organisms 

 are discharged with the feces without losing their germinating power 

 and are thus transferred to the fields with the manure and constitute new 

 sources of infection. 



The seed hulls are more readily eaten by animals, and since they often 

 contain considerable admixtures of seeds, they are more nutritious and 

 more easily digested than straw. They are good for swine, which utilize 

 them better than chaff. 



Of the various forms of chaff that of oats and barley is the richest 

 in nutrients. Wheat chaff comes next in this respect. The woody and 

 silicious rice glumes (chaff) and those of millet arc of the poorest qual- 



