Farmers' Bulletin Volume 1101-1125 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 Excerpt: ...THE OAT CROP IN THE SOUTH. The high value of oats for feeding to horses and mules is generally well understood. The market price of oats in the South is usually so high that this grain can not be fed with profit to any other class of animals. Even when fed to horses and mules the most economical results can be obtained by substituting corn for a part of the ration. Oats are particularly valuable for feeding to colts and to other young and growing stock. The value of this grain for feeding to young animals is due to its high proportion of ash, or bone-forming material, and of protein, or muscle-forming material. A very common practice in the South is to feed oats in the bundle to work stock. The Red Rustproof and other southern varieties are unlike northern spring oats in that the leaves and stems are still quite green when the grain is nearly ripe; hence the straw is much better feed. Feeding oats in the bundle provides both grain and hay for the animals and saves the expense of thrashing and of providing tight bins for storing the grain. Bundle oats make an excellent summer feed for horses and mules. When oats are not too high in price they are a valuable grain for feeding to dairy cows, sheep, and poultry. As they are not fatproducing, they are not of value in fattening cattle, while their high proportion of crude fiber makes oats an inferior feed for hogs. Oats are usually fed whole to all kinds of stock, though for young animals or for older ones with poor teeth the grain should be crushed. Oat straw, as previously stated, is a better feed than the straw of any other small grain. It is a valuable roughage for feeding to all kinds of stock not at hard work, but contains too much waste material to make up the entire ration. When fed with cowpea or other h...