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Show ALFALFA AND BROOD MARES la Irrigated Section Many Colts Born Dead on Account of Feed Give Some Grain With Hay. Alfalfa hay ha a very great field of usefulness In fending all classes of live stock under western conditions, condi-tions, hut It cannot safely be fed to brood mar-s In unlimited quantities, writes i'rof. K. J. ladings. From some sections of the Irrigated bi It have come some reports of a larse percentage of colts born dead or weak and deformed. In some cases an overused and defective stallion Is undoubtedly responsible. In ninny cases, however, when colts are most In the manner heretofore mentioned, 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 bay. 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 mad safer by combining wild bay, timothy tim-othy or even oat or wheat straw, wltb tbe alfalfa. In no event should a brood mare weighing 1,200 to 1,600 pounds be fed more than IS or 16 pounds of alfalfa dally. 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 tbe organs of elimination. elimina-tion. Kspecially heavy Is tbe labor placed ou the kidneys. |
