168 PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



bility possessed by oats. Wolff has found the following amounts to be 

 digested of the different constituents of oats : — 



Proteids. Fats. Carbo-hydrates. 



Ruminants, 77.3 per cent. 82.4 per cent. 73.7 per cent. 

 Horses, 86.0 " 77.6 " 76.3 



The carbo-hydrate constituents of oats are represented principally 

 by starch, although from 3 to 6 per cent, of sugar, 1.25 to 4.51 per cent, 

 of gum and dextrin have been found. Oats are, above all, the best force- 

 developing food for horses, — a fact which is universally recognized. To 

 foals at first only crushed oats should be given, the transition to whole 

 oats being only gradually accomplished. Oatmeal is also a good addition 

 to the food of milk cattle, and is said to increase both the amount of 

 milk and the amount of butter. As a fattening food for cattle oats are 

 not preferable to other cereals. In the natural form oat-grains are not, 

 as a rule, sufficiently masticated by the ruminants, and therefore their 

 maximum nutritive properties are not appropriated. It is therefore the 

 custom to feed oats to these animals either crushed or in the form of oat- 

 meal. Sheep, which as a rule masticate their food better than other rumi- 

 nants, are for this reason capable of digesting larger amounts of oats. 

 Oats are also a valuable food for birds. In Pomerania geese are fattened 

 almost solely on this food. It has, however, the disadvantage of causing 

 a thin and unpleasant adipose tissue in these animals. In America oats 

 are roasted with suet, and it is stated that hens fed on this food are 

 especially prolific. Oatmeal is richer in cellulose than the other meals, 

 but it is also at the same time richer in proteids and fats. The average 

 composition of oatmeal, according to J. Kb'nig, is about as follows :— 



Water, . lo.l per cent. 



Proteids, 14.3 



Fats, 5 '.7 



Sugar, . 2.Z ' 



Gum and dextrin, 3.1 



Starch, 60.4 



Cellulose, 2 2 



Ash, . 2.0 " 



Oatmeal is especially valuable as an accessory food in the nourish- 

 ment of young animals, especially young dogs, when it may be mixed 

 with milk. 



Oat-straw has the following composition (Pott) : 



S oli yS, . . 86.6 per cent. 



Proteids, , 3 3" 



Fats, , i' 4 



Carbo-hydrates, . . 435 



Cellulose, 333 



Ash, jj'o 



It is the most nutritious of the cereal straws. Ruminants digest of 

 the proteid matters 40.7, fats 30.1, carbo-hydrates 45.5 per cent. 



