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Show ALFALFA AND BROOD MARES In Irrigated Section Many Colts Born Dead on Account of Feed Give Some Grain With Hay. Alfalfa hay has a very great field of usefulness in feeding all classes of live stock under western conditions, condi-tions, but it cannot safely be fed to brood mares in unlimited quantities, writes Prof. E. J. Iddings. From some sections of the irrigated belt have come some reports of a large percentage of coltB born dead or weak and deformed. In some cases an over-used and defective stallion is undoubtedly responsible. In many cases, however, when colts are most 1 in the manner heretofore mentioned, y the farmers are feeding alfalfa alone to their mares. It should not be so fed. For best results with the brood mare some grain should be fed in addition to the hay. In case It is desired de-sired to feed a large amount of hay as compared with the grain, the bay ration will be improved and made safer by combining wild hay, timothy tim-othy or even oat or wheat Btraw, with the alfalfa. In no event should a brood mare weighing 1,200 to 1,500 pounds be fed more than 15 or 16 pounds of alfalfa daily. A sole ration of alfalfa hay contains a much larger proportion of nitrogen than the in-foal mare needs or can use. The surplus must be eliminated eliminat-ed as a waste, and the condition lays an extra burden on the digestive tract and on the organs of elimination. elimina-tion. Especially heavy is the labor placed on the kidneys. v |