OAT BY-PRODUCTS FOR FARM STOCK. 135 



From 6 to 8 pounds daily can thus be fed (well moistened) to mature 

 bovines, proportionatelj' less to young stock, and about 5 to 6 pounds 

 daily to horses. 



While oat feed is used in considerable amounts in many proprietary 

 grain mixtures, the best grades, whether rich in protein or carbohydrates, 

 cannot contain large quantities for the reason that such an addition 

 would unduly increase their fiber content and also lessen their digestibility. 



The claim is made that aside from its nutritive value, oat feed possesses 

 merit as bulk, serving to distribute and lighten the hea-\der concentrates. 

 How vaUd this claim is has not been proved, although as a result of 

 experience many feeders claim that the feeding of considerable amounts 

 of a grain ration which lacks bulk is not ad\dsable. Be that as it may, 

 the use of a few hundred pounds (about 15 per cent) of oat feed in a ton 

 of home-mixed ration would not be objectionable, especially if the other 

 ingredients are highly digestible and finely ground. 



In -^-iew of the ever-increasing demand for the grains as human food, 

 it should be the aim of both the manufacturer and feeder to use the by- 

 products to the best advantage. Methods for improving the digesti- 

 bihty of indigestible materials, such as grain hulls and the Uke, merit 

 the careful attention of investigators. 



Oat feed should bear a guarantee of composition, and the manufac- 

 turers should be careful that it is of stable composition. The purchaser 

 will lose confidence if it shows variations from an accepted standard, or 

 if material is offered as oat feed which consists only of ground oat hulls. 



Low-gi-ade bj'-products, of which oat feed is a type, must be sold on 

 their merits and at a price commensurate with their feeding value. Any 

 attempt to sell such material either by itself or in proprietary mixtures 

 at prices unwarranted by its feeding value as compared with feeding 

 stuffs of liigher grade would quickly destroy the confidence of the pur- 

 chaser and result in a slackened demand for the article. The old motto 

 of "state what j'ou sell and sell what you state" may be improved by 

 the addition of the clause "at a price commensurate with its value," 

 and would be especially appUcable to this class of materials. 



