224 BETTER DAIRY FARMING 



399. Whole or ground wheat.— It is well known to all that 

 the entire grain is used relatively little for feed. However, wheat 

 having many broken or shrunken kernels and containing a con- 

 siderable amount of screenings brings a poor price for milling, yet 

 its feeding value may not be appreciably lowered. Thus the farmer 

 should feed such wheat rather than market it. Whole or ground 

 wheat contains more protein and mineral matter than corn and 

 is at least equal in carbohydrates, but is much lower in fat. It 

 is a palatable, highly digestible feed. 



400. Screenings. — Previous to milling, the wheat is cleaned to 

 separate out bits of straw, imperfect kernels, weed seeds, etc. 

 These materials, called screenings, are either mixed and sold with 

 the other wheat bj^-products, or marketed in proprietary feeds. 



Screenings vary greatly in feeding value. A sample consisting 

 largely of broken wheat and other grains has a high feeding value, 

 while one consisting of straw, dust and certain weed seeds may be 

 practically worthless. Screenings must be ground so as to destroy 

 the life of the weed seeds. It is believed that most mills using 

 screenings in quantity are equipped to do this. Thus, this objec- 

 tion is no longer a serious one. 



The screenings in wheat feeds do not present a serious question, 

 because by law they cannot be present in greater amount than 

 is contained in the w T heat from which the feed was made. The 

 purchase of a proprietary feed containing screenings is another 

 question. Because of the indefinite nature of the ingredient in 

 question, it is believed that no mixed feed containing screenings 

 should be bought unless manufactured under an open formula 

 by a firm whom the farmer feels he can trust. (113, 114, 115) 



401. Wheat bran. — The outer layers of the wheat kernel 

 comprise the bran. The product is very rich in phosphorus. 

 Though containing more protein than the entire wheat kernel 

 and other cereal grains, bran is not equal to them in total di- 

 gestible nutrients. This is partly due to its rather high fiber con- 

 tent. It seems, however, to have a value not shown by its nutrient 

 content, particularly in rations for dairy cows. This extra value 

 is probably due to its laxative effect and to its bulk, making it 



