726 



Winter Feeding of Livesotck. 



[Nov., 



it is common for the farmers to experience a shortage of rough 

 fodder, it is a common practice to supplement the hay and 

 straw available with the leaves and small twigs of beech, birch 

 and poplar, and similar broad-leaved forest trees. Leaves of trees 

 gathered towards the end of July have a feeding value equal 

 to that of medium meadow hay. 



In the case of sheep weighing about 100 lb., 13 lb. of dry 

 matter is required weekly to keep the animal in good condition, 

 and in general practice, where plenty of roots are available, a part 

 of this dry matter is supplied by roots, the average ration of hay 

 for sheep generally being about 5 lb. a week, with roots ad lih. 



The average requirements of farm animals for coarse fodder, 

 (hay or straw) is therefore as follows : — 



Live weight. Fodder as hay or straw. 



Horses 8 cwt. ... 13 lb. per day. 



12cwt. ... 17 1b. „ 



16 cwt. ... 20 lb. „ 



Cows and bullocks 9 cwt. ... 14 lb. „ 



12 cwt. ... 17 lb. „ 



Sheep 100 lb. ... 15 lb. per week. 



140 lb. ... 19 lb. „ 



Pigs All weights ... Nil. 



The requirements given above are the physiological require- 

 ments of the animals, and although in most cases they corre- 

 spond with actual practice, they are not based on the results of 

 practice but on a study of the structure and capacity of the 

 digestive tracts of the animals mentioned. Although the 

 minimum requirements given above for horses are the same as 

 those for cattle of equal weights, the actual capacity of cattle 

 to deal with coarse fodder is much greater than that of horses. 

 This is shown in practice. The amount of coarse fodder given to 

 horses is approximately constant, but the nature of the fodder 

 given varies according to the nature of the work the horse is 

 required to perform. Thus with horses at rest good oat straw 

 or oat and wheat straw is considered good enough, but when the 

 horse is required for hard work the greater part of the straw is 

 replaced with meadow or clover hay. In the case of the race- 

 horse the diet consists of the finest quality meadow hay and the 

 best oats procurable. 



In the case of cattle, on the other hand, the capacity to deal 

 with coarse fodder goes well beyond the minimum requirements 

 given above, and the same argument applies to a lesser extent 

 to sheep. The pig, however, owing to its comparatively simple 

 digestive tract, cannot deal with coarse fodder to any extent and 



