Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-14
Skim Milk for Colts.
A VERY SATISFACTORY SUBSTITUTE, IN
PART, FOR OATS.

After selling our last lot of shotes we
had quite an amount of skim milk to
dispose Of in some way; so, remember
ing the advice of one of our old friends
who was successful breeder OF high
class colts, we began to feed it to our
| two colts which are now just coming
three years of age. The boy had taught
them to drink when they were small, so
no trouble was experienced in that direc-
ton. The amount of oats was reduced
and the main dependence was put upon
the skim milk. The growth and general
appearance of the colts soon showed
they were getting more digestible food
than when they were receiving their full
ration of oats. Then their great fond
ness for the milk, we think, added to its
food value. After continuing this feed
ing for some weeks / set about learning,
as near as might be, something of the
food value of the skim milk as compared
with oats at 52 cents bushel. the pre-
vailng price here at present.
OF course, had recourse to the analy-
ses of American feeding stuffs which l
found in Professor Henry's "Feeds and
Feeding" 1t may not be out of place
to give some of the uses of certain ele-
ments in foods in the animal body, as
this may help us to understand the rela-
tive values of the foods compared. In
the first place, we learn that crude pro-
tein is the name given to class of sub
stances from which the bones, the liga-
meuts, the muscles and the tendons are
made. We therefore know that protein
is a very important part of food, par
ticularly for young animals.
The nitrogen free extract and crude
fibre are styled carbohydrates. The
chief function of carbohydrates is to
furnish fuel for the body, but they also
furnish energy and may add fat to be
stored among the tissues of the body.
The ether extract, or crude fat, serves
the same purpose as the carbohydrates
and is grouped with them in determin
ing the nutritive ratio of foods. Having
ascertained the amounts of the different
classes of food elements in any article,
chemically, the food is fed to some ami
NAL and the amount of these elements
which it digests is noted. This amount
is called the digestion co-efficient, and by
multiplying the total amount of each
tltIutut UJ luio CU-ciuClCut luC diuOuuto
of digestible nutrients are found.
From these tables we learn that oats
have 81 per cent of digestible protein,
44.7 per cent digestible carbohydrates
and Al per cent Of digestible fat, with
nutritive ratio of to 4.
Skim milk has 30 per cent digestible
protein, 5.2 per cent digestible carbohy-
dra,es and per cent of digestible fat.
Making calculations, we find that,
with oats at SO cents bushel, skim
milk is worth 55 cents hundred for its
protein content, 20 cents hundred for
its carbohydrate content and Is cents
hundred for its fat content. That is, If
we buy oats for the protein they con-
tain, skim milk is relatively worth 90
cents hundred, its carbohydrates we
can buy in oats for 20 cents and its fat
for 13 cents. But, as oats form the
standard grain for colts and are valuable
principally because of their protein con-
tent, we may fairly conclude that skim
milk judiciously fed is worth very near,
or quite, as many cents a hundred
pounds as oats are worth bushel in the
market. 1t should not be made to take
the place of the entire ration of oats,
but may take the place of from one-half
to two-thirds of the ration. II there is a
tendency to constipation, lessen the
quantity of skim milk and give occa-
sional feeds of potatoes.-B. Walker
McKeen in Tribune Farmer.