Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-07-20


ho accredited with having reduced feed
Ing 10 science with respect 10 any ofouf
domestic animals, But II Is probably true
that men generally feed horses more
recklessly than they do other kinds OF
stock, IN feeding cattle. swine and
sheep we have very distinct object IN
view, however far We may come from
accomplishing II. We are supposed 10
aim at turning food Into animal pro
ducts. and 10 produce Me most Of saoli
products from the least possible amount
II food That Is the theory Of feeding.
We are supposed 10 aim at the saving %
food. Bui inhorse feeding The saving II
food does not generally enter into our cal
culatlons nj all. We dump 80 much Of
whatever comes the most handy into
the manger aud ifecd-boxs and 1neylTe
stop TO cdnut the cost. We think many
viii plead guilty 10 that charge without
any hesitancyi and We presume that
every one Of MS has throws away hlnI
dreds Of dollars through the munger. II
u said 20 be q fact that there are only
two experiments ON record as 10 the
feed required 10 make o pound Of
growth IN colts, and certainly we have
never seen any except these. Yet the
feeding Of horses in the best and at the
SAME time most economical way, Is one
Of the means Of making money on the
farm. Where large numbers of horses
are employed in city industries the safe
ty Of the business Of which they are a
part nccessitates close study Of the
subject. II the great European omni-
bus companies and the hOrse-railroads
Of this country fed as reeklessly as some
Of us farmers do they would have their
large dividends cut down very percep-
libly. But they have experimental
until they believe they know how ahorse
can be kept in good working condi-
ton at the lowest figure. The
horses upon our street-railways
are fed about the same ration
everywhere. In summer time the ra-
tion Of horse is sixteen pounds OF corn
and oats, ground together in equal
quantities. with twelve pounds Of cut
hay. With this class of horses and With
the horses employed on the omnibuses
Of London, experiment has established
the fact chat ground grain and cut hay
are better than whole grain and uncut
hay, for reasons which we think will be
obvious enough, without taking the time
here to explain them. The winter IA
tions Of the horses referred 10 are six
teen pounds OF corn meal and twelve
pounds Of cut hay, or an equal quantity
of corn and oats as for the summer ra.
ti0n. OF course location and the conse'
quent relative price will have something
to do in leading to the decision as to
whether corn meal shall be exclusively
Used in winter. All things being equal,
or hearly equal, ration made partly
of oats 4 greatly better II clover can
be fed it will make the corn meal more
acceptable as a ration. Corn meal and
clover hay constitute very evenly bal
anced food, for the clover will supply
the muscle forming elements in which
ihe meal is deficient. From what we
hd9s said in recent articles upcn this
vitally Important subject Of feeding, no
one viii have difficulty in seeing that
we do rot advise feeding on meal aud
hnv alone Corn i a tat prodp'5ng
food. 1t furnishes heat, ald Is neCes-
sat'y, m rather desirable, for that pur-
pose, and 20 produce the moderate
quantity of fat which horse needs.
Feed two horses, one upon corn meal
exclusively and the other upon oats ex-
elusively, and time will demonstrate
hat the latter win last the longest.
KeeB tHe horses system at the high
that constant ration Of
corn will produce, and we are burning
up the horse. We nfs keeping it in a
condition in which it is q ready prey of
disease. We do not know that we ovGr-
state the ease when we say that, in one
half of the eases that come to the notice
of our veterinary department, disease
has resulted from feeding toomuch corn.
Then again s6ah a food IS corn or
corn-meal if fed alone, as is sometimes
done, Is too concentrated The borss
needs bulk, and this is one Of the valua,
bic features of oats. They contain &
large amount of fiber and they enter
the stomach in q loose condition, en-
abling the forces of digestion to come in
with il all through H. At least
hall Gf the animals food should be Of
a bulky character, and this ought TO be
mixed with the concentrated food, ~
the concentrated part oi oats is mixed
with the fibrous husk. II either corn
Jr corn-meal is to be fed alone, il is
better to feed the whole corn, for il will
20 into the stomach in more porous.
Iooser condition. The truth ought %
be learned that corn-n1eal should be fed
with hay, straw or other coarse fodder,
md that these should lie cut and wet
lown. II We will cut all our folders.
mix our meal with them wet down the
place it in bin, cover it with
4 blanket. and let itremain from twelve
20 twenty-four hours we viii fnd that
we are consulting the interests OF our
oocket-books. and conducting 10 the
health Of our horses. Thousands oi
lorses are ruined by eating dry, dusty
lay, and il is time we had reformed our
methods to prevent this. The first
hing to accomplish in feeding horses.
Dr. other animals, is to insure their per-
ect health, and the next thing, with the
lorse, is to develop muscle. While il
5 desirable to nave horse look well,
ooks are secondary object When
,ver We feed for looks. we are very like
u 10 be neglecting the feed for utility
ind health. But if we will adopt the
llan Of feeding less corn. and cutting
md weiting down our day, with which
he meal we feed is mixed. we shall noi
,nly conduce to health and usefulness,
lut add 20 appearance Hcsirn hitrn-