168 DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



i 



rants, while these animals digest the fiber and fat better than do 

 horses. 



Oats do not have quite as high digestibility as Indian corn, so 

 far as fiber and nitrogen-free extract are concerned, due to the 

 higher percentage and the more woody character of the fiber in 

 oats than in corn. The coefficients for protein and fat in the two 

 grains, on the othetr hand, are about similar. The high fat contents 

 of these two grains are doubtless important factors in making them 

 palatable stock feeds. Oats, as a rule, have a somewhat lower feed- 

 ing value than corn, although this depends largely on the combina- 

 tion in which they are fed. In general, a mixture of the two grains 

 gives better results than either fed alone. This rule does not hold 

 good, however, in the ease of oats for horses (p. 287). 



Corn and Oats (-" Ground feed"). — Mixtures of corn and oats 

 are ground together and sold in immense quantities in eastern and 

 central States as " ground feed " or " ground corn and oats." This 

 is used for feeding horses and dairy cows, especially the former, 

 for which purpose it is well adapted. A good grade of corn and oats 

 makes a valuable horse feed, but low-grade materials, like oat hulls, 

 refuse from oatmeal factories, ground corn cobs, etc., are often added 

 in making the feed, and its purchase cannot be recommended outside 

 of States which have feed inspection laws on their statute-books, 

 where the feed may be bought on definite guarantees of protein, fat, 

 and maximum fiber contents. The wholesome effect of feed inspec- 

 tion laws has been strikingly illustrated in the quality of the 

 ground feed sold in a State before and after the passage of such 

 protective laws. 5 



Ground oats and corn are generally sold on a guarantee of 9 to 

 10 per cent protein, 3 to 4 per cent fat, and 7 to 9 per cent maximum 

 fiber, according to the proportions of the two grains entering into 

 the feed. These may vary- from one of corn to three of oats, by 

 weight, to three of corn and one of oats. The market price of the 

 two grains determine largely the proportions used of each, more 

 corn being used when this grain is the cheaper, and vicp versa. 

 Since corn contains only about 2 per cent fiber, and oats, on the aver- 

 age, about 10 per cent, mixtures of the two grains will not be likely 

 to contain over 7 per cent fiber. A fiber content of over 9 per cent 

 is evidence that the ground feed is either adulterated, or that a 

 very poor grade of light oats was used in its manufacture. 



Barley is mainly used for stock feeding on the Pacific coast in 



c Wisconsin Circular 30, p. 83, January, 1912. 



