1921.] 



Notes on Feeding Stuffs for May. 



181 



NOTES ON FEEDING STUFFS 

 FOR MAY. 



E. T. Halnan, M.A., 

 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



Rationing of Stock. — Several correspondents nave asked at 

 various times, that analyses of feeding stuffs and their digesti- 

 bilities might be included in these Notes. Owing to lack of 

 space, and to the fact that such a table would necessarily be 

 very incomplete, it has been impossible to accede to their 

 requests. Their needs have, however, been carefully considered 

 and it is hoped have been met by the publication by the Ministry 

 of Miscellaneous Publication No. 3*2, entitled Eations for Live 

 Stock, by Professor T. B. Wood. This publication, among 

 other things, includes a table giving the chemical analysis and 

 feeding value of all feeding stuffs likely to be used in farming 

 practice, and will be found most valuable if used in conjunction 

 with these notes. Copies may be obtained from the Ministry, 

 price 6d. per copy. 



Rice and its By-products. — The preparation of rice for human 

 food gives rise to a number of by-products that find their way 

 into the feeding stuffs market, either in the form of straight 

 products or in the form of compound meals. In preparing 

 rough rice for food, the outside tough hulls are removed and 

 the rice kernels " polished " to give them an attractive appear- 

 ance. These mechanical processes give rise to rice hulls, rice 

 bran, and rice polish. 



Rice hulls are tasteless, tough, and woody, and have practi- 

 cally no feeding value. Very often they contain a considerable 

 proportion of sand or silica, and for this reason alone are 

 dangerous to feed to stock. Owing to their unpalatability and 

 poor feeding value they rarely find their way on to the market, 

 except, in certain cases, in the form of compound meals. It 

 should be unnecessary to state here, that reputable firms rarely 

 employ this stuff as an ingredient to their meals. 



Rice bran consists of the outer layer of the rice kernel and 

 includes the germ, and should contain only a small percentage 

 of the hulls. Such bran contains about 11 per cent, of oil and 

 not more than 12 per cent, of fibre, and is a highly nutritious 

 feed. It is useful for fattening steers, but should not be fefl 

 in very large quantities to dairy stock pr pigs, since it tends 

 to spoil the quality of the butter and produces soft pork. 



