EXPERIMENTAL WORK ON COLT FEEDING 
109 
feeds were for a time the same grain mixture referred to and at another 
oats alone. For a short time the Allies got no grain while the stallions 
got corn during the same period. Then corn and oats formed the grain 
portion of the ration at the latter part of the summer feeding. Pasture, 
silage, and hay made up the coarse feeds given. The third 'feeding period 
in the coming winter Ands the colt getting mostly oats in the earlier part 
of the period and then a grain mixture embracing 6 parts of shelled corn, 
2 parts of shelled oats, 1 part of wheat bran and 1 part of linseed meal was 
employed for the remainder of the test period. Hay was the only 
roughage provided for. According to the experimenters, “No effort was 
made to secure extreme weight, but the colts were kept in good growing 
condition.” The feeding periods were 168 days the Arst winter, 196 days 
during the next summer, and 196 days the second winter. 
The results of the test follow: 
“During the progress of the test each colt consumed 28.5 bushels of 
corn, 52.2 bushels of oats, 1.6 tons bran, 1.2 tons of linseed meal and 3 
tons hay and its equivalent in corn silage, together with less than an 
acre of good pasture. 
“. . . their increase in value during their development was sufficient 
to pay for all feed and labor, leaving a net proAt of $45.66 on each in¬ 
dividual in addition to the value of the manure which is variously esti¬ 
mated from $25.00 to $50.00. The full value of these have not yet been 
reached, hence there should be a further proAt as they develop, while 
doing the work on the farms. This test demonstrates the possibility of 
producing draft horses proAtably under conditions which were not ideal 
and during a period when grain and forage crops were higher in value 
than in any like period in Afty periods. 
“. . . When the rate of gain as measured by the amount of fat de¬ 
posited on the body was at its maximum, the growth width of chest was 
greater than the growth at depth. During the third period, however, the 
change in the form of heart girth was very noticeable in depth, though 
there was an actual decrease in the width as compared with the preced¬ 
ing period. This decrease in width was due entirely to the fact that the 
colts were losing in condition, although they were growing as far as the 
length of bones was concerned. During the last period when the colts 
were approaching maturity, it will be noticed that the change in depth 
of heart was very slight while there was a material increase in width, 
especially in that portion above the median line. 
“. . . it would seem that the rate of growth as measured by the in¬ 
crease in the length of bones is continuous from birth to maturity, but 
that the increase in width of body may remain stationary while that in 
depth increases. This is to a very large extent due to the amount of food 
that the animal consumes over and above that required for maintenance 
and growth which is represented by a deposit of fat over the outside of 
the chest. There was apparently a greater increase in the depth of chest 
than in the depth at the middle of the paunch, doubtless due to the colts 
being ‘paunchy’ at the beginning of the feeding period. 
“. . . that the height of withers was materially greater at weaning 
time than that of the croup, while in their two-year-old form the differ¬ 
ence was very much less. Another interesting feature in regard to the 
measurements is that the depth of the chest increased 32% during the 
entire period, while the distance from the chest to the ground only in¬ 
creased 9.78%, showing that the foal is much more ‘leggy’ than the 
mature horse. There was very little change, amounting to only 1.8% in 
length of the cannon of the hind leg as indicated by the measurement 
from the point of the hock to ground. There was a very material increase 
in the length of shoulder and also in the length of back as measured from 
the scapula to the hip. In all of the measurements, however, the increase 
in width is proportionately greater than the increase in height, so that 
the body may be said to change in both depth and width to a greater ex- 
