Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-05
Feeding Our Work Stock

Inc FARMER mas no more i'm portan
asset than that of his work stock
pands the profits derived from his
farming operations. The loss O.
livestock due to improper feeding
runs annually into millions Of dol
Ears, even within the confines of g
single state. Many of the animals
which do not die are rendered inef.
ficient or their period of active serv-
Ice materially diminished. For con
siderable part of the time they arc
sick or indisposed during the year
and the landowner may not be able
TO utilize them for varying periods
bf-ttme on that account. Undoubted-
lyS one of the great losses which take
pace in our own state each year is
due to the careless or indifferent
teeding of our work stock. The mat
ter is of such universal concern and
of such vital Importance to the well
fare of our people that the discus
Sion and emphasis of certain rules
and regulations incident to the feed
Ing of work stock seems very desir-
able at this time.
Let us consider what the work ami
NAL does with his food. In the first
mace. he utilities part of it to, re-
place the wear and tear of various
tissues of his body; secondly, to sup
ply the energy necessary for his
bSdy to perform its normal functions
and enable him to render service in
the form of york. Animals must
De fed for both purposes. therefore,
though 1 fear at times the average
farmer gives consideration only to
the latter.
To feed livestock intelligently one
must therefore know about the COM
position of the animals body and
the foods which he proposes to Util-
ice. 1t is absolutely necessary that
the animal be supplied with all the
Kinds of raw material essential to
che maintenance of the issues of
the body. The parts subject to wear
will need considerable amounts of
protein so as to keep the muscles
and blood in good condition. Ger
tainly there must be mineral mat
ters SO as to keep the bones in good
Condition. Next, the animal must
have supply of material from
which it obtains energy. Energy is
to. do work. 1t is exactly like fuel
under the boiler. Energy may be
derived from the consumption of
protein, carbohydrates and fats in
the feed. Carbohydrates constitute
the chief or principal source from
which energy is derived. Presenting
that a thausand-pound horse is to
perform eight hours of work per day
it will be necessary osupply it with
two pounds of protein; If 1t is to
work but four hours a day, Ia
pounds; if but two hours day, one
worked out for individual animals.
but they are somewhat complicated
and difficult, therefore, to utilize
IN practice satisfactorily by farm
ems: Fortunately these standards
have been so accurately determined
that certain generalization can be
made therefrom which will enable
the landowner to feed his stock in
an acceptable manner without going
to the trouble TO weighing the food
each day.
aTaken as a whole, the average
horse or niue should be fed from l
to IA pounds of hay and from 3-4
toA1 pound OF grain daily for each
100 pounds of I've weight. If a
Ivorse or mule, therefore, weighs
1000 pounds IL should b fed from
Toto II IL pounds of hay or rough
age, and 8 to 10 pounds of grain. AS
the weight increases the hay and
grain should be increased.
In this connection it is important
to remember that rations for horses
and mules must be adapted to the
peculiarities of all sections of the
country are rather limited in num-
Der. In the south we must FIND
some, way of keeping the roughage
part Of the ration in a desirable con-
dition and balance. This also ap-
plies to the concentrates. Corn of
itself is too heating a food to use
alone. Moreover, it IS deficient in
mineral matter and protein. If we
could mix equal amounts OF corn
and oats this difficulty would be
overcome. Many of our farmers are
able to do this because they cultivate
considerable areas: of oats. Some neg
lect the oat crop and hence are forced
to feed corn alone, with the. result
that the energy and the period OF
service of their livestock is initiated
against. Certain amounts OF peanut
meal and very finely ground viewer
bean meal or high grade cottonseed
meal can be mixed with corn to ad-
vantage For instance, about l0U
p6itnds of cottonseed meal or peanut
meal may be mixed with 500 pounds
ofucorn and cob meal. Two hundred
pounds of peanut meal could also
be =, mixed with 500 pounds OF corn
meal. Corn slower and pulled fodder
are both somewhat deficient in pro-
tein. Corn slower is not as palatable
or easily digested as it might be.
It's utilization as q food In the main
teiance of work stock can be great
lyeimproved by cutting or shredding
it,.and mixing with legume The
1egume should not constitute more s
than one-third of the ration by
weight. For this purpose alfalfa hay
is unsurpassed. Feed whole or chop
up and mix with the chopped stover,
Peavine hay of a good quality is
also desirable. Soy beans or vetches
cserr be used to advantage. Corn
stoter should as a rule be moisten-
ed, before it is fed and allowed to
soften for several hours. Use water
containing a little salt, thereby add
ing to the palatability of the rough
age part of the ration. Moistenine
this material adds to it's palatabillty
and also lessons the irritation to
the respiratory organs which large
amounts of dust contained in corn
stnyer is likely to engender.
The changes suggested are not
radical. They are all simple of in
stifution and they may be followed
out. successfully on any farm. If
these simple suggestions were put
into practice and followed out a
more normal ration would be sup
piled to our work stock and they
would be kept in a much better con-
dition and be able to perform larg-
er amount Of service with less eff
fort than pertains at the present
time.
In this connection l wish to say
that on all red lands of Georgia a
greater effort should be made to
establish and cultivate a small area
of alfalfa. 1t produces hay par
excellence for horses. We can raise
il with considerable success in many
parts of Georgia. 1t will yield sew
eraf cuttings a year and make a very
f#5Es1s-