Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-10-22
AGRICULTURE.

WATER AND FooD FOR HORSES
Horses and cattle normally req uire' III
round numbers, four pounds OF water
for each pound of dry substance III lhe
food, while sheep require about rwo
mounds, or about half rs much. inns
estimate. the result of many careful eA-
neriments. includes the water contain
ed i'm the food as well as that i'll the
drink. The amount of water needed
by pigs has not, | think, been accurate
ly determined. With horses we hhu
different digestive arrangemcnl-oiIe
that changes the conditions whicn "erc
suitable for ruminants TO very impor-
tant extent. Horses have but one
stomach, and that relatively small IL
contains, when fully distended, but NJ
teen TO sixteen quarts, and in this con-
dition is too full for the performance Oh
its functions. Usually when digest
ing the food the horses stomach does
not contain more than ten quarts, anu
as more food is eaten some oil the con-
tents pass onward into the iEtestlnes TO
make room for it. In eatinga full Ieed
of hay the stomach is filled two or
three times, SO the part first eaten can
remain but a short time for digestion
Now, here is 4 point of great lmpor-
tance. The albuminoids OF the loou
are digesied in the stomach ana a stoih-
achful of grain contains four 10 SIX
times as much of these rs stomachiul
of hay, consequently for sIlilicieht
quantity of gastric juice to be mlXeu
with the grain, and produce its 1ull eI-
feet requires 4 much longer time Than
with hay. Ii, then, we feed oats or
corn, and immediately afterward hay,
we may be very certain that the grain
will be forced from the stomach before
it is perfectly digested, but II we ieeu
the hay first and then the grain, Il is
not difficult to understand that the lat
ter can remain in the stomach suiii-
cient time. There is one advantage in
mixing oats or ground feel of any kind
with cut hay or straw, and that Is the
more perfect mastication which the AMI
NAL gives in this case, but it is doubt
fu. if this advantage holds good with
cattle, rs they do not chew their food
perfectly when eating, but rely on the
ruminatien which follows. In n king
feed for horses We should not put Il
great amount of coarse food with the
grain. or we will give more than the
stomach will hold, and the last portions
eaten will force the first ones into the
intestines before they are thoroughly
lmpregnated with the gastric juice.
Thus, two pounds of hay and four
pounds ef oats are about rs much rs
should be fed ut once, when mixed. and
ii more oats are given the hay should
be decreased; for insts nee, lire pounds
of hay may be given. Now these facts
will give us better understanding of
the effect Of water on digestion. II, af-
ter feeding hay and then oats, We al
low 4 horse to take large drink of wa
ter, a considerable portion of the oats
will be carried by the water into the i'll
testines, and we get little OF the advan-
tIge OF feeding the oats after the hay
Ii such 4 drink is taken soon after eat
ing hay alone, the effect will not be so
injurious, because hay does not need SO
long time for digestion as grain. If
only one or two quarts of water are al
lowed it will pass the food in the Stom-
ach without changing its position TO any
great extent. When the stomach has
got rid of considerable part of itS on
tents it seems difficult matter for it 10
force out the remainder, and fermentI-
tion and collie sometimes result; a drink
Cf wat.r NJ such 4 time, by carrying on
the substance which has remaiuel long
enough, relieves the condition. This
probably explains why some horse-cIr
have found il advisable 20
have their horses watercd at midnight.