Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-27
Water and Food for Horses

Horses aud cattle normally require, in r1uod
numbers, four pounds of water for each pound
of dry substance 10 the fco1, while sheep re-
quire about two pounds, or about half ss much.
This estimate, the result of macy careful expe-
riments, ircudes tho water contained iu the
food az we'll as that ir the drink. The amount
cf water needed by pigs hes not thiak. bson
accurately determined With ho1s,s ". find
different digestive arrangement-one that
changes the conditions which were suitably n
tumnants to a very Important. extent. Horses
have but ono stomach, and that relatively
small; ii contains, when iuy dittsnicj, bui
Eileen to sixteen quartz, aud 10 this conoiiou
is TOO full fer tho performance of its funotlons.
Usually when dlgestlug tho food the horses
stomach does bot contain more than tcu quarts.
snd SIS moro food i5 eaten some of the contents
pass onward iuto the intostnes to make room
for il. la eating full feed OF hay tho et,mach
is filed two or tEreo times, 50 the part first
csten can remain but sh2rt timo for digestion.
Now. here is point Gf gross Importance. Tfc
abunioUijs Of the o3S are diEts.ed il the
stomach and stomach!u Of grain co1tliec
four to six times IS much Of these rs stomach
fu! of nsy, consequently for a sufficient ql,nti-
IL of gastric juice to b. mixed with the grain,
and produce IFS full effect requires much
longer time thaa with lay. Ii, then, We feed
oats or corn, Rcd immediately attcrward hay,
We may be very certain that tao grain will be
fnrcea from the stomach before it is perfectly
digested, brt ii 40 feed the nay first and then
tho gain, it Is not difficult 70 uadcis!anl that
the ls!tcr cGG r;main iE ;Ho etomcCh
a suficiczt time. There is ono advantage 10
mixing oats CT ground feed Of any kild With
cut hay or straw. aud that ia the more pcritcs
mastioatloa which the animal gives 10 this case,
but it is doubtful if this advantage holds goods
with cattle as they do not chew their food
perfectly when eating. but rely on tic ramiua,
tion which follows. 10 mixing feed fer horses
we should not put great amount Of coarsc
food with tho eiain or VIC will give more ttaG
tho stomach will hold, and the last portions
eaten will force the first ones into the intes.iues
before they sro thoroughly mpregnated with
tho gastlicju juice. Thus two pounds Of haY,and
four pounds of ost,ale about as much as should
be fed OF once, when mixed, and it moro oats
are given the hay should be decreased; for 10.
stance, five pounds of hay may be glVeo. Now
theso facts will give US better understandings
of the effect Of water on digestion. 1t, after
feeding hay aud then oats, wo allow horse 10
take largo dripk OF water, considerable p0r.
ton Of tho Gals will be carried by tho water in-
to The intestiues. and we get little of tho ad-
vantage of feeding tho oats after TIC hay. Ii
such drink is taken SOON alter eating hay
alono, the effaot will not be 81 Injurious, bp,
cause hay does Los need 80 long time for d.
gestion as grain. If only one or two quarts of
water Gre allowed il will pass tho food in the
stomach without changing its position to any
great extent. Wheu the stomach has got I'D
Of considerable part Of its ooncats it seems
q difficult matter for it to foroo out tho re-
mairder, and fermentation aad oolc somotimes
result drink of water at such time, by car.
ryiug on the substrc, which hss remained
long enough. relieves the condition. This
probably explars Why sono horse car compan'
les have found it advlssbls to have their horsse
wstered at midnight.