Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-03
SAWDUST AS A FEEDING
MATERIAL.

A number of carefully conducted expert
ments on the digestibility of woody fiber
have led to the conclusion that the latter is
assimilated by the animal organism in pro-
portonatey speaking larger quantities, to
the extent even of 20 per cent, instead Of
81 per cent, under poor than under lib
eral system Of feeding (as regards quality of
the dieD.
According to the we'll known journal edit
cd by Stockhardt, Der ChemiSche Ackers-
mann, several lots Of FIVE to six year old
wcther sheep had shown, on trial being
made, that they we're capable of digesting as
much as so per cent. of the woody fiber of
paper pulp, 80 per cent. of that of poplar,
and 81 per cent. of that Of pine wood.
Notwithstanding, however, the nutritive
qualities possessed by so cheap and univer-
sally abundant a material, no practical ap-
plication resulted from the experience thus
gained until dearth of provendcr and the
high price of straw at length induced Mr..
Lehman, of the Tharander Agronomic In
stitution, to take up the subject afresh. Mr.
l.. commencing his trial of woody fiber in
the form of sawdust, with ten COWS and one
information on the following points
l. Will cattle, without being driven to
it By excessive hunger, eat sawdust when
the latter is mixed with their other food ?
2. Can sawdust be advantageousy en-
ployed as a substitute for straw in feeding
horned stock
g. Have resin and the essential oils con-
tanned in pine wood sawdust any effect, ia.
vorabe or the reverse, on tho composition of
the milk and butter?
4. What effect has long continued feed
other materially on the health and condition
of cattle2
The total live weight of the animals was
l0,S00 pounds, and they had been receiving
daily, per 1000 pounds live weight, the fol-
lowing mixture
'5 lbs lbs sns slocG sbdg tHgnp Mixed and hon moist
a. ibs chonncd ant straw oned with lukewarm
53 lbs. grains, ""'''
sS lOs rape cako' the above. We ""'''' "''' "''''0 "
80 lbs. long oat straw.
The only difference made at first was to
add for two consecutive days, for every 1000
pounds Of live weight, IL pounds of sawdust,
obtained from neighboring saw-mil and
passed through wido-meshed riddle. All
the cows partook of the new article Of diet,
and no portion of their ration remained un-
consumed. The like was the case during the
next eight days, whom the quantity of saw
dust had been increased, and that of the
long straw diminished, by 4.6 pounds. In all,
this mixture, which appeared to completely
satisfy the animals hunger, was continued
for fourteen days, and throughout that time
no change in their health or general appear
ancc could be perceived. On the other hand
their milk, though the same in quantity as
before, grew richer in quality, and the but
ter improved in flavor and composition.
Owing to the exhaustion of the stock of
sawdust, it unfortunately became necessary
to interrupt the experiment for the space Of
ten days, and to substitute for the new food
80 pounds-thc amount originally given-of
long oat straw. The other items OF diet re-
mained unaltered and at the expiration of
the ten days the experiment was renewed
for five weeks without a break. The last
change of regimen made was to replace the
grains by turnip leaves become slightly
acid), to increase the allowance of sawdust
from % pounds to 7 pounds, and to dimin-
ish in a corresponding degree, .. e., from SO
pounds to AZ pounds, the amount of long
straw. The mixture then consisted Of
34.7 lbs sliced turnps
10 lbs. turnp leaves grown acid, Mixed and moist
| 22 lbs. Oat shells, ened with luke
80 lbs. chopped Oat straw, warm water,
| lbs. pine wood sawdust,
lbs. bran boiled in water, Added to the above be-
| 80 lbs. rape, s fore feeding began,
| ~ lbs. long Oat straw.
On this the COWS we're found to do so well
that it has been adopted ever since as the
regular food of dairy stock kept at the insti-
tuition; and by the employment of sawdust
las above) to one.third of the wood fiber con-
tanned in the mixture, daily saving is af-
iectod, averaging I'D. per 1000 pounds Of
live weight.