HORSES AND MULES 



319 



eat 4 pounds of linseed meal per day, 

 for long periods with relish. It is, per- 

 haps, best to begin the linseed meal ration 

 in smaller quantities and gradually work 

 up to the maximum amount. In ordi- 

 nary cases 2 pounds of linseed meal and 

 2 pounds of bran is perhaps better than 

 4 pounds of linseed meal. Burkett found 

 that horses suddenly changed from a 

 linseed meal ration to quite different ra- 

 tions, containing no linseed meal, did not 

 lose in weight. 



Stewart used flaxseed in small rations 

 in feeding colts intended for fast work, 

 and obtained satisfactory results. The 

 colt was kept in a fine condition; the 

 skin was clean, the bowels free and an 

 even development of the muscles of the 

 limbs and of the whole body was ob- 

 tained. Flaxseed has a laxative effect 

 and mixed with oats is a most desirable 

 supplemental feed in derangements of 

 the digestion. It should be cooked into 

 a pasty mass and then mixed with other 

 feed. 



Whole vs. ground grain_On account 

 of the small size of the horse's stomach, 

 and on account of the further fact that 

 horses sometimes fail to digest their feed 

 as thoroughly as ruminants do, it is de- 

 sirable to know the value of any pre- 

 liminary treatment of feed before giving 

 it to horses. In general, it is stated that 

 the horse's stomach will hold about S 1 /^ 

 gallons, and on this basis many recom- 

 mendations have been made regarding a 

 feed of small rations at frequent inter- 

 vals, rather than large amounts in the 

 morning and evening only. 



One of the most common ways in 

 which grain can be changed before feed- 

 ing it is grinding, and the question is 

 frequently asked whether grinding pays. 

 It may be stated that for nearly all 

 animals, the grinding of grains has been 

 found to increase their digestibility 

 somewhat. The increased effectiveness 

 of ground grains, however, may not be 

 enough to pay for grinding unless the 

 farmer is conveniently located near a 

 mill, or has a feed grinder on his place. 



In a test of grinding, carried on at the 

 Utah experiment station by Sanborn, it 

 was found that whole grain was as ef- 

 fective for horses as ground grain, and 

 since in his experiments it was found that 

 ground grain would have to be 15 to 20 

 per cent more effective than whole grain 

 to pay for the cost of grinding, it must 

 obviously be considered of doubtful pro- 

 priety to incur this extra expense. 



Whole grain was also compared with 



ground grain by Wilson and Curtiss at 

 the Iowa experiment station. The grain 

 throughout the feeding experiment was 

 mixed in a proportion of 150 pounds of 

 oats, 50 pounds of shelled corn, 25 

 pounds of barley bran, and 25 pounds of 

 linseed meal. One lot of colts received 

 ground grain and oats while the other 

 received their grain whole. The greater 

 gains in weight were made from the 

 ground grain. The difference, however, 

 was not sufficiently decided to form a 

 basis for a recommendation in favor of 

 grinding grain. 



In the Iowa experiments it was found 

 that colts required T 1 ^ pounds of grain 

 and 13 pounds of hay to make 1 pound 

 of gain; and while the effectiveness of 

 feed is based on a consideration of gain 

 in weight produced in the colts, as is 

 done in the case of other animals, the 

 value of grinding grain may be some- 

 what larger than is usually stated. 

 Throughout the corn belt, this grain is 

 almost universally fed to horses without 

 previous grinding, either in the form of 

 shelled corn or on the cob. The amount 

 of corn which passes through the intes- 

 tines undigested is very small in the 

 case of animals with good teeth. In old 

 age, or during the period when the per- 

 manent teeth are replacing the milk 

 teeth, just before the animals reach ma- 

 turity, it is obviously desirable to grind 

 or otherwise soften the grain in order to 

 increase its digestibility. In general 

 barley and wheat appear to be improved 

 by grinding, and the same may be said 

 for screenings and kafir corn. In the 

 latter case, however, this is obviously dur 

 in part, to the small size of the seed. 



Buckwheat—This grain is not ex- 

 tensively used for a horse feed. Accord- 

 ing to the experiments of Girard, about 

 27 per cent of the kernels of buckwheat 

 pass through horses without being di- 

 gested. This indicates the desirability of 

 cracking or grinding buckwheat before 

 feeding. There is an objection to the 

 use of buckwheat on an extensive scale 

 in feeding horses or other animals, in 

 that it contains an active principle, 

 which produces more or less poisonous 

 effects. These bad effects are avoided, 

 according to Russian experience, by 

 roasting the grain before feeding. 



The injurious effects of buckwheat ap- 

 pear when it is fed for long periods. The 

 symptoms of poisoning which are ob- 

 served include congestion about the 



