Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-26
wAsAr AS FOOD For STOCK.
Compared with Corn and oats a. "A Ration
For Growing and Tattcning Animals.

Compared with Corn and Oats "a Ration
For Growing and Tattcning Animals.
A popular subject for discussion is
the relative value Of wheat as compared
with corn and oats for food for growing
and fattening animals This is due to the
great change in the comparative prices
Of the grain, mentioned. Recently we
have seen 5G Tnurd4 of cora SCH for
more thun could ar obtained for 60
pounds Of wheat This rcadW,tmcnt Of
the price, of grain evidently calls for
reconsideration of the methods for dis
posing of the cereal crops IN order To de
terminc wlnrh II most profitable under
present conditions With view TO
directly answering the questions most
frequently asked concerning wheat rs
food for stock has been issued 10y tho
department at Washington circular
from the bureau Of animal industry set
ting forth DR. ID. T.. Salmon's views on
the subject
Tables given in this circular make il
appear that wheat contains practically
the same amount of protein per 100
pounds as oats, and that both wheat and
protein than corn. On the other hand
wheat has only about onc.half as much
fatty matter aS corn and oats. I'm car
bOhydratcs the position Of wheat is
about half way between that of corn and
oats. While corn comes nearer being
the ideal grain for fattcuing animals, it
is believed that equal parts Of wheat and
corn are better for iattening animals
than either Of these grains alone For
young growing animals corn is plainly
not so suitable rs Is wheat or oats.
When wheat and corn are the same
price per bushcl. it is preferable 20 feed
wheat and sell corn, first, because
wheat weighs per cent heavier per
bushcl than corn; secondly because
wheat il weight for weight and equally
good grain for fattcning animals and
better for growing animals. and, third
ly, because there Is much less value in
fertiizinS elements removed from the
farm in corn than III wheat.
As the animals are very fond Of
wheat, but &lc not accustomed 10 IL,
this grain ought ut first bc fed i'm small
quantities. 1t should, whom possible, bo
mixed with some other grain. These
precautions are especially necessary
when wheat is fed to horses, The best
form in which Tn feed wheat j. 20 roll
or grind il into a coarse meal. II may
then be fed alone or mixed with corn
meal or ground oats. DR.. Gilbert APP
pears to have obtained better results
from whole than from ground wheat
when fed 10 sheep. Sheep feeders may
therefore experiment with whole wheat,
but wheat meal Will certainly bee found
TO give better results with all other
kinds Of animals.
The number of pounds of live weight
that may be produced by feeding bush
ell of wheat will evidently vary accord
ing to the age and condition Of the ami
nal fed. Professor Robertson at the
Ottawa experiment station, fed frozen
wheat to hogs and secured from 8. 10
-. iG pounds liycweicht, from bush
81. the greater increase being from
young, growing animals and the small
er from those which were fattening. At
the South Dakota experiment station
the hogs fed ground wheat required !. 81
DOulltlN. anu tlANt litl W llOIt NuiON IT,
CURED J. ~ pounds for one pound gain
in live weight The ground wheat fed
returned IS. 80 cents per bushcl, the
whole wheat 90. S3 cents corn 90
cents and peas 90. 3G cents. The quail
ity of pork obtained from ground wheat
and corn was about equal and was Su-
pcrior 10 that from whole wheat, peas
or mixed feed. From the Canadian eX
perimonts it would appear that the feed
ing value of an equal weight Of wheat
! is slightly in excess of that Of corn.
| The South Dakota experiments gave
better re- ult, from corn I'm general the
difference would probably not bc very
great, Int it would undoubtedly he bet
ter To mX corn and wheat, or corn,
wheat aud bran, or corn. wheat and
middlngS Various combinations are
made \ mixture Of 50 pounds corn and
! 80 pounds wheat l. recommended ~ eX
ccllcnt fol fattcmiug animals. Equally
! good arc 80 pounds wheat. 40 pounds
corn and 20 pound, bran. Suitable alike
for growing animals or those being fat
tened is mixture Of 10 pounds wheat
20 pounds corn, % pounds oats and 20
pounds middlingS, or if the feeder
wants 10 save corn the mixture may be-
c,uc go pounds wheat, 20 pounds oats
and 80 ,Junds middlings.