Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-26


part of the problem. Indigestion
may arise from a number of causes.
Frequently the ration fed does not
meet the requirements of the animal
receiving it. 1t is our custom 70
confine our horses and mules largely
to ration of corn and pulled fodder
This ration does not supply enough
ash matter nor enough protein. IN
other words, there are certain ele-
ments essential to the maintenance OF
the bodily vigor which are not pro-
vided in the daily food, Is it sur
prising under these conditions that
there should be an impairment OF
the bodily functions? How might
this great difficulty be overcome? In
one of several ways. First, suppose
shuck meal, or into corn and cob
meal. Then let us add to this ma
terial enough of some other food
stuff, which we produce in album
dance and which is therefore rela-
lively cheap, to balance it up SO 1t
will provide the necessary protein
I required by. our work stock. VIII
this be a difficult or costly under
taking? Not at all. for 100 pounds
| of cottonseed meal or peanut meal,
will do the trick. We produce all of
these materials in great quantity
| Therefore, we must conclude that a
| failure to use these materials in con-
! junction with corn is due to lack
! of appreciate of their essential ma
| ture. to a well-known deficiency in
! our existing ration, or to indifference
| on the part of the Wner of the work
| stock.
1t is only recently that we have
| begun to really understand the I'M
| portant part that dieteticS play in
/ the welfare of the human being. This
| being true it is not surprising that
we have only lately begun to realize
! the important part a balanced ration
| plays in keeping our work stock in
a normal condition. The main fact,
now that we have learned more about
/ this proposition than we formerly
appreciated, is for us to put our
! hardly acquired knowledge into prac-
! ticaI use. Beyond the question of
| a doubt, if the grain ration fed the
| average horse or mule were amended
! in the manner indicated we would
| have much fewer digestive trouble
| and we could keep our animals in a
! more nearly normal condition and
secure a larger amount of work from
them than is now possible.
In. this connection, however, we
| must not overlook or neglect the
| roughage part of. the ration. This
| is equally as important as the con-
centrated part. There is a theory
| in the minds of many people that
roughage counts for little, that. any
| thing will do provided it is sup
| posed to fill up the animal and stay
| the appetite. This is not true. The
| horse and mule are constituted diff
ferently from other classes of our
| domestic animals. They have a linn
tied digestive capacity as compared
with ruminants. They have a much
! more highly organized and sensitive
! respiratory system, The cow, for
| instance, may eat all sorts of dusty
/ fodder without bad effects. On the
! other hand, the horse or mule sup
! piled only with this class of food
soon develops heaves or other -respir-
atory troubles. The roughage, there
fore, used for this class of stock
must be clean and bright and free
from moulds and dust and dirt. 1t
is not difficult in a country where
age to provide a suitable amount of
| this class of feed for our work stock.
For instance, if we take mfllet and
combine it with coWpeas we have an
almost ideal hay. Cowpeas provide
| q certain amount of nitrogen. and
clean, bright, fine-stalked hay con-
! tanning plenty of leaf which is read
lily eaten by horses and mules! This
is only one illustration of a type of
hay we could use. to- advantage. To
depend only on pulled fodder is a
shown by the large number of cases
of Indigestion about which inquiry
is, being constantly made.
Having provided now a balanced
grain and roughage. ration in Suita-
| BILE quantity and amount what other
points should be, considered and OBJ
served. First. all work. stock, should
be watered and fed regularly. The
, watering should be done before the
food is consumed: Imagine. what
! happens to a man if. he eats a heavy
meal and then drinks a large guam
THY of cold water If he keeps this
practice up for a little while he be-
comes a chronic sufferer from indi-
eestion. Horses and mules are not
different in this respect from human
beings. When work stock are brought
in from the field they are as a rule
thirsty and they will drink freely
at that time before they are fed.
If we reverse this process 1t SIMPLY
means that a large quantity of water
/ is poured into the stomach, the di-
gestive juices diluted, the stomach
chilled and the food tends to, ferment
and purify in the stomach instead
of being assimilated and the useless
material eXereted.% from the body.
Therefore, watering regularly and at
the right time is of--the7 utmost i'm
pOrtancc. ~5e.: ssa.-s"
Managers and feeding troughs
should be kept clean. Frequently
they are allowed to- fill up with all
Then no matter what is put into
them they become more or less pol
luted. This is a simple trouble to
correct. Feeding should be done reg
ularly. Animals are Quite as much
creatures of habit as the human be-
ing. When fed. regularly they are
kept more contented. They eat their
food more slowly and have more
time in which to digest and asSimi-
late it, all important and essential
matters. Overlooking of animals
when they are extremely tired is to
be avoided. Under such circum-
stances animals are likely to over
eat. They fill the stomach up with
more material than can be handled
and as a result set up more or
less Troublesome form of indigestion.
Especially will this be true where a
practice Of this character is con-
tinued.
Working animals should not be
violently managed after they have
been fed. This is to be avoided.
;s This applies to driving on the road
is as well as working in the field. There
2 is no trouble about regulating the
n feeding of animals so they may have
= plenty of time for their meals and
g short rest period thereafter. The
y regulation of the feeding of animals
e is very desirable. The same ration
IL should not be fed every day in the
q year. When the animals are doing
" light work or standing in the stable
E, it should be cut down. When they
's are working in the field and per
a forming the heaviest type of labor
e they should be more literally fed
It AS to the use Of medicines they
e. are to be avoided whenever practi-
~ cable. The feeding of digestive ton
?, les and the use of laXatives can cas-
. lily be overdone. They soon create
20 condition in the digestive tract
Re which calls for the artificial stimu-
:. lation which such medicines provide.
:. Then unless they are constantly used
y the animal develops a more or less
! 7iI ! ]|I.j ljI..i;l!.zI:yg