The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-03-29
A Lesson in Feeding.

J. P. p, Silver Lane, Conn.,: would
like to get DR.. Smead's advice about
horse eight years old that is thin in
flesh, coughs little occasionally, gets
tired easily for young horse and
makes water frequently, but has a
hearty appetite and eats and drinks
heartily. I have been giving him
powders for quite long time for i'm
proper digestion, as that is what a
local veterinary tells me is the matter
with him. His case IS chronic and
of long standing, following distemper.
He gets six quarts of ground oats, bar
ley and corn daily, proprietary feed,
timothy hay and oat straw hay. l also
feed him once a day, usually, carrots.
He is now used very little and gets
good care.
There are several possible reasons
why this horse is not in thriving con-
dition. First, I notice your ration IS
not conducive to life and lasting
spirit: not an element in it which Is
protein food. The oats come the near
est to it, but their ratio Is to 6. II
you were feeding him about twelve
quarts of ground oats daily with your
timothy hay he would do fairly well, 1
think, and if you were to add to that
large handful of linseed oilmeal I am
very certain he would, providing; he IS
not infested with intestinal worms.
But it would not be policy to feed that
quantity of oats to half idle horse;
hence it would not be good judgment
thus to feed him. I will call your at
tention to some points on feeding:
The moderately worked horse re-
quircs food Of nutritive ratio OF 1
to Z. Now, let us look at the one you
are feeding. Oats have ratio OF 1
to little over 6; barley, 1 to 8; corn,
1 to 10; timothy hay, to Is; oat
straw, / to 80. Now, allowing tnat
your grains were equally mixed, you
would have grain ratio Of about to
s, and the hay and straw about 1 to
%; altogether, the ratio would be
very nearly to Is. Your horse could
not endure much labor on that. He
would lack spirit and muscular vlgor,
while he might look quite well. He
simply would tire out quickly; hair
would look rough; skin would be dry.
and the bowels either very loose from
the inability to digest so much car
bonaceous food, or else be constipated.
In either case his digestion would be
deranged, as the veterinary told you.
All the digestive stimulants or condi-
ton powders kept in a drug store
could not change the ration.
Now, If you will drop the barley and
corn and substitute some wheat mid
dlings, with a ratio OF 1 to 4, and add
the handful of linseed o1lmeal so rich
in protein, with a ratio Of 1 to 2, and
then use the oat straw for bedding in
stead of food, you will be getting down
somewhere near what this horses ply
sical needs require.
I spoke cf the possibility Of worms.
AS he has been out OF condition 1or
some months, he very likely has some.
It is the calf thin In flesh that has lice.
when the fat one has not; it is the
horse with a poor or weak digestion
that furnishes the best home for
worrs. With good, strong diges-
ton the worm has to fight to live;
with a poor one, he can laugh and grow
fat. Hence will advise that you fast
him for about sixteen hours; then
mix a tablespoonful Of creolin with
quart Of warm water and use as
drench. Follow in two hours with a
six-drach mdose of Barbados alloes,
with a spoonful of ginger added. Give
this also in water as drench. II ne
has worms you will see some Of them
in his yoidings in about twenty-four
hours. In that case repeat the dose
in a week.
AS his digestion is weak will sug-
sest that for a month you give him
a tablespoonful Of the following:
Ground flaxseed, one pound, in which
mix three ounces of ground charcoal,
three ounces of bicarbonate of soda,
four ounces Of ground gentian root
and two ounces Of ground aniseseed.
Give morning and night.-M. D.
Smead, v. S., in the Tribune Farmer
Elevators at Windsor Castle.