Horse Feeding Secrets.

Secret of Hand Raising a Foal.

An orphan foal can be successfully raised on cows' milk if the work is intelligently and patiently conducted. Mares' milk is sweeter than cows' milk, but less rich in butter fat; therefore, in using cows' milk for foal feeding, choose that which is poor in butter fat-3 per cent. or thereabout-and sweeten it with sugar or molasses. The latter sweetening has the advantage of acting as a mild aperient.

It should be remembered that the first milk (colostrum) of the mare contains a purgative principle for the removal of the meconium from the intestinal tract of the foal, and as the orphan foal does not receive this natural cathartic it is apt to suffer from constipation, which may prove fatal. To prevent this inject into the rectum of the foal, twice daily from birth, two or three ounces of warm water containing one to two teaspoonfuls of glycerine, and continue this treatment until the bowels have been moved freely.

A mixture of equal quantities of cream, molasses and warm water also makes a good injection fluid for a young foal, and some horsemen insert a small, thin tallow-dip candle into the rectum for a like purpose.

At first the foal should be fed once an hour, but gradually the times of feeding may be reduced in number. Feed the milk blood warm, giving at first half a cupful at each meal and with it three tablespoonfuls of lime water to the pint of milk. The foal will take the milk readily from a large rubber nipple fitted on the neck of a feeding bottle which must be often well scalded. A kid glove thumb perforated and fitted over the spout of a small teapot will do almost as well as a rubber nipple and feeding bottle.

Hand-fed foals tend to scour. When such trouble starts withhold two or more feeds of milk, and give one to four tablespoonfuls of castor oil in milk, according to the severity of the attack and the size of the foal, and repeat the dose every time there is any derangement of the digestive organs.

Soon the foal may be fed but six times a day, then four times, and in a few weeks it will freely take milk and lime water from a clean pail. At this stage sugar may be omitted and the lime water be given only once a day. The secret of success is to feed a little milk often and to keep all utensils scrupulously sweet and clean. As soon as he will take to it, the foal may be allowed to lick oatmeal in small quantities; gradually increase the amount and add wheat bran. After six weeks give a little sweet skim-milk in place of a part of the new milk, and by increasing the amount day by day the foal may at three months old take skim-milk entirely and continue to drink it freely three or four times daily while eating grass, grain and bran.

Secret of Feeding Silage to Horses.

It is commonly believed that corn silage cannot safely or profitably be fed to horses. Investigation shows that this belief is ill advised, for some horsemen feed silage successfully.

A noted Wisconsin breeder has used corn silage extensively as a feed for horses as a part of the winter ration during the past eighteen years. The number wintered each year averages about 100. His method is as follows:

In making silage for horses the corn is allowed to stand until nearly out of the milk, as better results have thus been obtained than when it is cut greener. The silo is filled as rapidly as possible, and when full is allowed to settle for four or five days, when it is again filled. Care is taken to pack the silage tightly around the walls.

The silo is opened about November 15th, when the herds have been brought in from the pastures. Care is taken to feed the horses lightly at first so that they may become accustomed to the new food.

A large bin has been built, connecting with a room below the doors of the silo. This bin is filled from time to time with a mixture of four parts of hay and one of straw, cut about 3 inches long, by being run through a silage machine. The silage is always mixed with this cut hay and straw before feeding. The proportions are about one to five of silage by weight. By cutting the hay and straw, the amount wasted is reduced to a minimum.

The corn is never taken out of the silo before it is ready to be used. The entire top is removed each day to a depth of about two inches. Any silage that is spoilt is thrown away. The silage and hay-straw are mixed thoroughly by forking over several times in the room, already referred to. By doing this the horses do not obtain all the silage at one time. Any grain that is fed is put in the manger with the silage.

The amount of ensilage fed to different horses varies with the animal. It is found that no two horses eat the same amount and they are never given more than they will eat. The average amount fed will be stated in each case below.

Aged stallions, used for breeding purposes, receive during the winter season about 24 pounds of silage per day. This is divided into three feeds, morning, noon and night. Besides this they are fed long hay and grain. During the breeding season they do not get any silage, as it has been found that if it is fed at that time there is difficulty in getting mares in foal and in raising a large percentage of colts. The reason for this is not known.

Two-year old stallions receive about 20 pounds of silage per day with their other feed. Yearling stallions receive about 15 pounds, with grain and hay. Mares with foals receive about 20 pounds, and also grain and hay while the colts are sucking. This is reduced to about 15 pounds, fed twice a day in the stable, after the colts are weaned.

Mares and geldings, from one year up, run in a herd together. They are fed morning and night about 15 pounds per day. During the day, if weather permits, they are turned out in a pasture and fed hay upon the ground.

Colts, soon after they have learned to eat grain, are fed a little silage in the box stalls with their mothers. For this purpose small feed boxes are put in each stall near the mangers, where the mares eat. After being weaned the colts are fed about 7 pounds of silage a day with the grain. Alfalfa hay also is put in a rack in the yard, in which the colts are turned out each day, and they eat as much of this as they care for.

The ration fed is higher than a balanced ration. There has never been any sickness resulting from the use of silage. The animals always come through the winter in good breeding condition and in proper shape to be turned on to pasture in the spring.

Secret of Fattening Drafters.

The business of buying young draft horses and feeding them off for the market has been profitably followed by many farmers during the past ten years. The work requires skill and experience and is thus described by Prof. W. J. Kennedy, of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station: "In one of the large horse-feeding establishments of the West the following method is practised: The horses are purchased, their teeth are floated and they are all put in the barn and their feed increased gradually, as great care must be taken for a few days to avoid colic. It seems preferable to feed them grain about five times per day, due to the fact that as the stomach of the horse is proportionately smaller than the stomach of a cow, he needs his feed in smaller quantities and more often. The hay is placed in racks so that access may be had to it at all times. The horses are given all the water they will drink twice a day. The daily practise is as follows: Corn is given at 5 o'clock in the morning; water at 7; the hay racks are filled at 9 o'clock, when the horses are also given oats and bran, the proportion being two-thirds bran and one-third oats. At 12 o'clock they are fed corn again; at 3 in the afternoon oats and bran are given and the hay racks are refilled; at 4 they are given a second watering, and at 6 the final feed of corn is given. The proportion for each horse when upon full feed is as follows: Corn from 10 to 14 ears to each feed; oats and bran, about 3 quarts per feed, making in all from 30 to 40 ears of corn and 6 quarts of oats and bran per horse per day. The horses are not given any exercise from the time they are put in the barn until a few days before they are to be shipped. As a substitute for exercise, and in order to keep the blood in good order, thus preventing stocked legs, Glauber's salt is used."

In some instances horses fed in this manner have made a gain of 5½ pounds a day for a period of 50 to 100 days. One horse gained 550 pounds in 100 days. In many instances from 12 to 20 horses have made an average daily gain of 3? pounds per day each for a period of 90 days.

Secret of Feeding Molasses.

The feeding of black strap molasses came into vogue when the United States artillery and cavalry horses in Porto Rico required "plumping up." By free use of this readily assimilated fattening food mixed with cut hay or grass, horses that had run down to skin and bone and become covered with harness sores quickly gained flesh and acquired sleek, polished, sound hides so that their former drivers or riders failed to recognize them. Although large quantities of molasses were fed to each horse daily, neither colic nor scouring was caused.

Dr. W. H. Dalrymple, veterinarian of the Louisiana Experiment Station, says that the amount of molasses fed to the large sugar-mules of 42...