GRASS AND HAY 



47 



alfalfa is their tendency to bloat. This danger can, however, be re- 

 duced to a minimum by proper precautions in not allowing the cat- 

 tle to go on to the pasture with empty stomachs, especially when 

 the alfalfa is wet. When the animals become bloated several reme- 

 dies are usually at hand for the malady. A large bit an inch in 

 diameter may be tied in the mouth, a piece of rubber tubing may 

 be passed through the mouth to the first stomach, or as a last re- 

 sort the animal may be tapped to allow the escape of the gas. For 

 this purpose a trochar is best, but in the absence of this instrument 

 a small-bladed knife may be used to make the incision about 6 

 inches in front of and slightly below the left hip bone. A straw or 

 quill may be used to permit the escape of the gas. 



Feeding Value. Alfalfa is one of the most highly nutritious 

 and palatable of feeds for all classes of farm animals either in the 

 form of green alfalfa or as hay. The following table indicates the 

 actual feeding value of eight different kinds of feed, based on the 

 amount of digestible nutrients contained in them. The values per 

 pound assigned as the basis of calculation are protein, $0.0674; car- 

 bohydrates (starches, ete.), $0.0064; ether extract (fats), $0.0112. 

 These figures are merely relative, as the prices of the food elements 

 vary in the different sections and from year to year. It will be noted 

 that the value of alfalfa hay is slightly more than double that of 

 timothy. But it depends on the animal, the way it is fed, time of 

 feeding, etc., whether these nutrients are actually appropriated for 

 animal growth and sustenance. 



Actual Feeding Value of Different Feeds Based on Amount of 

 Digestible Nutrients. 



There is a prejudice on the part of liverymen against alfalfa 

 and in favor of grass hay, owing to the laxative effect of the alfalfa. 

 Many persons hold that the kidneys are unduly stimulated by al- 

 falfa, but this does not appear to be well substantiated by experi- 

 mental data. On the contrary, there are numerous instances on rec- 

 ord where alfalfa hay and green alfalfa have formed a major por- 

 tion of the ration for the working animals of the farm for years 

 without injurious effect. Alfalfa is a most excellent feed for young 

 growing stock, especially horses, but care must be taken to avoid 

 feeding too much hay to colts, as coarseness is apt to be developed. 



For Poultry. Alfalfa makes an excellent feed for all kinds of 

 poultry. They can be allowed the range of an alfalfa field during 

 the summer or it can be cut green and fed to them. In the winter 

 alfalfa meal fed in a mash may be used as a part of the ration with 

 good effect in maintaining the egg production. It is quite as val- 

 uable for this purpose as red clover. 



