St. Landry democrat., 1883-07-21
Feeding Horses.

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be accredited with having reduced feed
| inc to science with respect to any OF our
domestic animals. But it is probably true
that men generally feed horses more
recklessly than they do other kinds OF
stock III feeding cattle, swine and
sheep we have a very distinct object in
view, however far we may come from
accomplishing it. We are supposed to
aim at turning food into animal pro
duets, and to produce the most Of such
products from the least possible amount
of food. That is the theory of feeding.
We are supposed to aim at the saving OF
food. But in horse-feeding the saving OF
food does not generally enter into our cal
culations at all. We dump so much OF
whatever comes the most handy into
the manger and feed-box, and never
stop to count the cost. We think many
will plead guilty to that charge without
any hesitancy; and we presume that
every one of us has thrown away hum
dreds of dollars through the manger. 1t
is said to be a fact that there are only
two experiments on record as to the
feed required to make a 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
/ tv of the business of which they are q
/ part neeessitates a, close study OF the
subject. II the great European omni-
bus companies and the horse-railroads
| of this country fed as recklessly as some
Of us farmers do they would have their
/ large dividends cut down very percep-
tibly. But they have experimental
until they believe they know how horse
can be. kept in good working con I'D
| ton at the lowest figure. The
horses upon our street-rallways
are fed about the same ration
everywhere. In summer time the ra-
ton of a horse is 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 that 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 ra-
/ tons of the horses referred to 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-
ton. 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 nearly equal, q ration made partly
| of oats is greatly better, II clover can
/ be fed it will make the corn meal more
acceptable as ration. Corn meal and
! clover hay constitute a very evenly bal
anced food, for the clover viii supply
the muscle forming elements, in which
the meal is deficient. From what we
have said in recent articles upon this
vitally important subject of feeding, no
one viii have difficulty in seeing that
we do not advise feeding on meal and
hay alone. Corn is a fat producing
| food. 1t furnishes heat, and is neces-
sary, or rather desirable, for that pur-
pose, and to produce the moderate
| quantity of fat which a horse needs.
/ Feed two horses, one upon corn meal
exclusively, and the other upon oats ex-
clusively, and time will demonstrate
that the latter will last the longest.
Keep the horses system at the high
/ temperature that a constant ration OF
corn will produce, and we are burning
up the horse We are keeping it in q
condition in which it is a ready prey of
| disease. We do not know that we over
4 ctota tho "a co when va say that in one