260 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 188. 



Analysis and Digestibility of Velvet Bean Feed {Bean and Hulls). 



Composition.! ^?^ 



Pounds 



Digestible 



in 2,000. 



Water, . 

 Ash, 

 Protein, 

 Fiber, . 

 Extract matter. 

 Fat, 



Total, . 



12.00 

 5.11 

 16.80 

 12.85 

 49.00 

 4.24 



100.00 



32.7 

 252.0 

 161.9 

 833.0 



68. 7 



1,348.3 



In chemical composition the feed does not vary greatly from wheat 

 bran, except that it has rather more fiber derived from the bean pods. It 

 contains about 175 pounds more digestible organic nutrients per ton than 

 bran, and should have a somewhat greater feeding value. 



The present spring the experiment station fed it as a component of a 

 ration to the two station horses which were being used on general farm 

 work and which had been employed in digestion experiments the previous 

 winter. 



Ration I. 



Ration I, which we began feeding in May, was composed of a mixture 



of — 



Oats, 



Corn, 



Velvet bean feed, 



Wheat bran, . 



Pounds. 

 . 100 

 . 160 

 . 40 

 40 



The velvet bean feed constituted 11.7 per cent, of the ration. The 

 horses ate the ration freely, Tom receiving 18 pounds and Joe 17 pounds 

 daily, in addition to 15 pounds of hay. 



Ration II. 



On June 8 the ration was modified bj'' increasing the velvet bean feed to 

 60 pounds and decreasing the corn to 140 pounds in the mixture. 



The velvet bean constituted nearly 18 per cent, of the mixture, and each 

 horse received a little over 3 pounds a day. The weights of the horses 

 follow : — 



Tofn. 



Joe. 



June 3, 

 June 10, 

 June 17, 

 June 24, 



1.395 

 1,345 

 1.370 

 1,400 



1,280 

 1,245 

 1,265 

 1,285 



