The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-07-28
Pea Hay For Horses.

| i. e. NJ. writes: Pea hay Is supposed
| TO have an Injurious effect on the kid
| ncys Of horses il fed continuously.
/ have been told that mules are not 50
| affected. Please say IL this is fact
and also how much pea hay can be fed
horses without injury.
The idea that pea hay has an in
| furious effect on the kidneys Of horses
II fed continuously Is news TO the
writer. While the claim Of our CORES
pendent may be correct. I have never
heard this subject mentioned at farm
crs' Institutes In the State nor has IL
been called To my attention by letter
l have also visited many farms where
horse breeding was engaged in quite
extensively and III a number of IN
stances have seen them fed pea hay.
and IL would seem that If there was
anything III the claim that pea hay
was injurious TO horses that some sug-
gestion would have been made rela-
tive 10 it by these breeders.
Pea hay has been fed 10 work horses
oil the station farm for several months
ut a time without injury so far as we
know. The principal reason for dis
continuing its use has been due TO
the high price 1t commands on the
market and the difficulty experienced
IN growing a sufficient supply to last
for a longer period. We have not had
any experience in feeding 1t continu-
ally 10 horses and therefore cannot
SDGHE h
ject. but If any OF our readers have
had the experience mentioned, we
should be glad to have them throw
some light on the subject
| do not believe that pea hay is in
furious to mules, because it is the Drac-
tice of every mule breeder in Tennps-
see to feed pea hay whenever possible.
In fact the fine coat of hair which
charactcriZeS the Tennessee mule is
attributed largely 10 the feeding of pea
hay. This at least is the belief of feed
ers with years Of experience: men who
have handled and fed thousands Of
mules. | have been told by some of
th" leading mule feeders of the State
that feeders from other sections of the
country have frequently visited their
places 10 ascertain if possible how
they fed their mules to produce such
splendid coats, for while mules in
many other sections of the country
may be in rs good condition, the quail
ity of the hair and the character of
the coat do not approach that Of the
Tennessee fed mule when handled in
tAll
among mule feeders in Tennessee that
the coat they can put on their mules
through the use of pea hay enables
them to obtain from $40 to 81 more
for them than they would otherwise
bring. The experience of SO many
large feeders extending as it does over
a number of years is pretty good evil |
dence of the value Of pea hay in fat |
teninG mules. and it would also seem |
that it had no injurious effects on
these animals.
Just why it should be held that pea |
hay Injuries horses and not mules is |
not clear to the writer, provided the |
pea hay is of a first class quality. The |
pea hay is hard to cure and sometimes |
1t is fed when in moldy and unsat- |
isfactory condition and this might ac-
count for the trouble indicated. AS |
much as ten pounds of pea hay is COM
monty fed to horses and mules in this |
State. 1t is rarely if ever the exclu- |
sive ration. but is gen orally fed along |
with mixed hay, corn stover, corn or
sorghum silage or sorghum fodder
Prof. \. NJ. Soule.