;| 54 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 230 



of energy for its digestion; and tliat the alfalfa furnished the necessary 

 amount of protein and was not fed in sufficient amounts to prove injurious. 



Inasmuch as alfalfa was but little grown in Massachusetts, we compared 

 the Kansas ration with a substitute ration composed of Timothy hay, corn, 

 oats, bran and dried brewers' grains, the latter furnishing the protein lacking 

 in the Timothy. 



The two combinations fed to determine digestibility and net energy require- 

 ments were as follows: 



Kansas Ration Substitute 

 Ration 



Lbs. Lbs. 

 Alfalfa 8.25 



Timothy 9.00 



Corn t3.60 4.20 



Oats 1.65 2.40 



Bran 1.21 



Brewers' grains 1.80 



Totals 16.50 18.61 



Chemical Composition 



In chemical composition one notices little difference except that the Kansas 

 ration is lower in fiber and higher in ])rotein. 



Average Dige.'^tion Coelficients and Net Energy Values 



The horses in each case digested little fiber and the results are not reported. 

 A study of the digestion coefficients and net energy values shows that the 

 horses made better use of the Kansas ration. 



On the basis of 1000 pounds live weight, the horses in the experiments con- 

 ducted at the Kansas station were fed, daily, 8.5 pounds of alfalfa, 6.8 pounds 



