98 



CANADIAN FARM YEAR BOOK. 



therefore, higiher in starcli and lower 

 in protein and fibre than the flaky or 

 roller bran. The value of each de- 

 pends on the animals to be fed and the 

 combination of feeds to be used in 

 conjunction. Whilst the roller- bran 

 supplies more protein than does coun,- 



,try mill bran, its digestibility is likely 

 to be somewhat lower on account of 



' its larger fibre content. The difference" 

 is slight, so let the price ibe the deter- 

 mining factor. Wheat bran is often 

 high priced in comparison with other 

 desirable concentrates, and the fact 

 that it is a common and valuable dairy 

 feed does not make its use indispens- 

 aJble. Sometimes equally valuable con- 

 centrates can be purchased at lower 

 cost. It is especially valuable to 

 stock requiring much protein and 

 mineral matter and are able to digest 

 bulky rations. It is well fed with corn 

 meal, buckwheat, middlings, etc. 



Wheat Middlings. 



Middlings vary in quality from 

 standard middlings to "shorts," which 

 may contain little flour. To a certain 

 extent "middlings" and "shiorts" are 

 interchangeable terms, sometimes re- 

 cognized as one and the same thing. 

 Wheat naiddlings proper comprise the 

 finer bran particles with considerable 

 flour adhering to them. Shorts often 

 (not rightly) consist of ground-over 

 bran and the sweepings and dirt of 

 the mills, sometimes with ground or 

 unground weed seeds which had been 

 previously separated from the wheat 

 Then there is the higher grade of 

 middlings, sometimes termed white 

 middlings, containing considerable 

 low-grade flour and a little more crude 

 protein and flour. Middlings have, 

 then, greatest value for pigs of all 

 ages, ibut should always be mixed with 

 such feeds as com or barley. They 

 are also helpful to dairy cows. They 

 (middlings and shorts) are both low 

 in lime and should, therefore, be fed 

 in conjunction with alfalfa or clover 

 hay. 



Returning again to bran it may be 

 stated that great care must be exer- 

 cised in feeding it to horses, as it 

 sometimes seriously affects their 

 bones, especially in the younger 

 animals. This is partially due to the 

 lack of lime in bran. Wood ashes, 

 burned lime, rock phosphate ground, 

 or legumes must always be fed in con- 



junction. Best grades of bran are of 

 light weight, with large, clean flakes 

 and no foreign matter. Supplied to 

 horses, twice weekly, in the form of a 

 mash made with scalding water, it 

 proves an excellent slight and bene- 

 ficial laxative. As bran is very bulky, 

 hard-working horses should be fed 

 very limited quantities, as they have 

 no time to digest bulky foods. 

 Take caution in purchasing, especially 

 shorts, to see '^Ijat there is no foreign 

 matter in the products. Weeds are ex- 

 pensive buying, and the dirt of the 

 mill floors is unhealthy. Besides, 

 there is a great deal of seeding down 

 to weeds, brought about by the pur- 

 chase of unclean millfeeds. Owing to 

 the looser method of grinding, the 

 country mill is sometimes the chief of- 

 fender. 



FEEDING EWES IN WINTER. 



In the winter feeding of pregnant 

 ewes, an excellent ration is composed 

 of clover hay, two to three pounds, and 

 roots, two to three pounds per day. 

 This is sufficient except when ewes 

 are thin, in which case a meal mixture 

 also should be fed at the rate of about 

 a half "pound per day. A good meal 

 mixture consists of oats, two parts; 

 bran, one part, and linseed oil cake 

 or peas, one part. Ewes lambing in 

 February, March or April should be 

 well prepared with the use of the above 

 ration. 



The most economical use of rough- 

 ages is the secret of successful sheep 

 feeding. If good clover hay is absent, 

 tbe cheaper roughages must be sup- 

 plemented with grain. Pea straw, un- 

 threshed, is an excellent substitute 

 for clover hay; pea straw, threshed, 

 must be supplemented with grain. Fine 

 grass hay may require an addition of 

 some grain in order to take the place 

 of clover hay. It would be better to 

 feed coarse grass -hays to some other 

 class of stock. 



Ensilage may take the place of roots 

 to within a month of lambing, at which 

 time ensilage should be stopped and 

 roots gradually decreased until after 

 lambing. 



For feeding sheep the roots may 'be 

 either mangels, turnips, or sugar beets, 

 except in the cas« of rams, where tur- 

 nips only should compose the root ra- 

 tion. 



