The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-06-16
Balanced Ratlons for Work Horses.

From Farmers Review: The sea-
son Of land work for horses Is well De-
gun and will continue on the majority
Of Kansas farms till the first OF next
November. Unless this season Is an
exception to the rule, the majority OIL
horses will begin the years work IN
good flesh and spirits, but before 'ne
season is over, thousands OF them wiz
be SO poor as to be almost nteraiiy
nothing but skin and bones" anu
will require winter OF high leeuine
to make them able to begin another
years work. This method of treating
horses is ruinous to the horse as wen
as expensive to its owner. Horses 81
treated are weak at time wnen INC
heaviest work Is required OF tnem'
Their bones protrude in such way
as to make it almost Impossible 10
prevent the harness from CALLING them
and we almost invariably find them
with shoulders covered with collar
boils. with sore backs, and with large
patches of skin rubbed off their nip
and stifie joints Such conditions are
not due so much to excess OF hard
work as they are to lack Of the proper
kind and amount of food. All animals
require different kinds of food in pro-
portions which vary according to the
conditions under which they are Ieo.
For example, the young growing colt
must have different food from tnat
given to the adult horse. 1t is equally
true that the horse working nara
should have different food and that IN
different proportions from the food
given to the horse that Is not work
ing. Eminent scientists have devoted
much time and money to digestion ex-
periments and to analysis of foods
needed by certain animals under GER
tain conditions. Their results have
been published in various tables OF
feeding standards. BY the use OF these
tables any ration may be compiled to
suit the conditions under which 1t IS
fed. The calculations necessary to de-
termine the quantity Of each kind OF
food to take are performed by sort
Of "cut and try" method and for this
reason are rather laborious to one
who has not had experience. Few far
mers have cared to take the time nee
essary to learn to calculate rations
quickly, and consequently very few
have ever given the subject Of bal
anced rations" any attention what
ever. 1t is the purpose of this article
to present table Of rations for horses
hard at work in which the quantities
of each kind Of food necessary to be
fed in one day are given. The rations
are not all intended to be ideal, but
are designed to furnish standards for
feeding the various feeds that the Kan
sas farmer Is likely to have on hand
or to have easy access to at this time.
1 am aware that IL to IA lbs. is large
amount of bran for one horse to eat in
a day, but nevertheless, it is the
amount necessary to balance the ration
where only such other feeds as corn,
and prairie hay or timothy hay are
available. In such cases the ration
should be as nearly balanced as pos
sible. In the following table the
amounts of each feed to be used in
each ration are calculated from VOLTS
feeding standards and are sufficient to
feed a horse weighing 1000 lbs. one
day. For heavier or lighter horses the
quantities may be varied proportion
ally.
Amount Of feed In pounds required
per day, per 1000 lbs. live weight, for
horses working hard:
Ration 1, alfalfa hay 10; oats 10;
prairie hay