68 



MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



FEEDING EXPERIMENT WITH COLTS. 



The object in view in conducting this experiment was to deter- 

 mine the relative economy of feeding oats for producing growth in 

 colts, as compared with certain other commercial foods. The grain 

 ration selected with which to make a comparison with oats was a 

 mixture of pea meal and wheat middlings. The animals selected 

 for the experiment were three grade Percheron colts of the fol- 

 lowing ages at the time the experiment was begun : 



Colt No. 1, bay filly, age, 18 months. 

 '• •• 2, black gelding, age 16 months. 

 " '■ 3. gray filly, age, 9 months. 



These animals were fed through three periods, during the first of 

 which they teceived hay and a grain ration made up of one-third 

 pea meal and two-thirds wheat middlings. During the second 

 period they received hay and for the grain ration oats alone. 

 During the third period they were returned to the mixture of 

 pea meal and middlings, which was mixed in the proportion of one 

 part pea meal to four of middlings. Below are given the exact 

 weights of hay and grain fed daily during each of the three periods. 



Period 1. 

 Feb. 13 to April 2. 



Period 2. 

 Apr. 3 to May 28. 



Period 3. 

 May 29 to July 2. 



Colt No. 1. 

 15 lbs. bay. 

 ' 8 lbs. mixed grains, 

 lojbs. bay. 

 8 lbs oats. 

 15 lbs. bay. 

 8 lbs. mixed grains. 



Colt No. 2. 



14 lbs. bay. 



7 lbs. mixed grains. 



14 lbs. bay. 



7 lbs. oats. 



14 lbs. hay. 



7 lbs. mixed grains. 



Colt No. 3. 



12 lbs. bay. 

 6 lbs. mixed grains 

 12 lbs. bay. 

 6 lbs. oats. 

 12 lbs. hay. 

 6 lbs. mixed grains 



The weights of these colts were obtained at the beginning and 

 end of each feeding period, and those recorded here are the aver- 

 age of three weighings taken on three consecutive days. 



Period 1. Hay. peas and middlings. 



Weight February 13th to 15th 



1,1 March 3d to April 2nd 



Gain in 46 days 



Daily gain 



Period 2. Hay and oats. 



Weight March 3d to April 2nd 



May 26th to 28th 



Gain in 56 days 



Daily gain 



Period 3. Hay. peas and middlings. 



Weight May 26th to 28th 



" June 30th to July 2d 



Gain in 35 days 



Daily gain 



Colt 



Colt 



Colt 



No. 1. 



No. 2. 



No. 3. 



lbs. 



lbs. 



lbs. 



922 



767 



612 



977 



827 



658 



55 



60 



46 



1.19 



1.30 



1.00 



977 



827 



658 



1042 



867 



713 



65 



40 



55 



1.16 



.71 



.98 



1042 



867 



713 



1053 



918 



748 



11 



51 



35 



.31 



1.46 



1.00 



