CHAPTER XXVIII 

 Composition of Coarse Fodders 



366. The Term Coarse Fodders is applied to animal 

 foods which usually contain large amounts of crude fiber, 

 and, while bulky in nature, are essential foods, many of 

 them having a high nutritive value. A coarse fodder 

 may be either green or field-cured ; pasture grass, timothy 

 hay, and corn fodder are all examples of coarse fodders. 

 The proteid content of coarse fodders ranges from 4 per 

 cent, and less, in straw, to 12 per cent, and more, in 

 clover and legumes. 



367. Straw. The straw from wheat, oats, barley, and 

 rye contains from 36 to 38 per cent, of crude fiber, and 

 less than 4 per cent, of crude protein, oat straw being the 

 richest. The amount of fat in straw is small, rarely exceed- 

 ing 1.5 per cent. Straw contains from 6 to 9 per cent, 

 of water. The pentose compounds make up a large por- 

 tion of the nitrogen- 

 free extract. Straw 



is a food poor in pro- 

 tein, fat and digestible 

 carbohydrates, and 

 contains a high per 

 cent, of ligno-cellu- 

 lose, pentose, and ash 

 materials. Straw may 

 produce some heat in a ration, but for the production of 

 muscle or the repair of proteid matter, it occupies about 



mVROGEN-FREE'EXT" JETHER EXT 



r >'^&&&V:(RB 



WH^AT STRAW 



Fig. 84. Composition of a bale of 

 wheat straw. 



