FEEDING VALUE OF BRAN.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20497, 16 March 1932, Page 18

FEEDING VALUE OF BRAN.

OPINION OF WHEAT RESEARCH OFFICER. Mr 11. E. West, of the Wheat Research Institute, Christchurch, supplies the "Wheatgrower" the following instructive article on the feeding value bf bran: —

Unfortunately, the present-day method (of determining the relative value of h stock food in New Zealand is based topon prfce per ton and physical apfearance of the sample submitted. The ystem reminds me of the remarks biade by a veterinary professor when (giving a lecture on medicine for horses I—viz., "99 per cent, of the value of the taedicine is bound up in the smell for rhe owner's nose, the other 1 per cent, is for the benefit of the horse."

Appearances are very deceiving. Would you believe that in every 1001b of turnips there are some 891b of water and only 111b of food! Yet such is the '«ase. Would you believe that bran made from Australian wheat looks (richer and more nutritious than bran imade from New Zealand wheat? Yet in tnine cases out of ten the homefproduced bran has more actual food fthan the imported article. Whiteness anay be a sign of purity, but it is not of (necessity a good indication of food value. The Australian bran looks rich [because it is made from a whiteskinned wheat, whereas the New ZcaBand bran is the by-product from a rediskinned wheat.

A good animal food must, do more [than please the critical eve of the jfarmer. It must supply to the stock hot only heat and energy materials, Known as carbohydrates, and fats, but also proteins for flesh and muscle production, mineral matter, such as lime, jphosphates, and other salts for bone poilding, and certain accessory paterials called which act hs tonic 3 or stimulators to the animal [machine. Moreover, all these different constituents want to be supplied in pie proper proportions and in the ioorrect amounts at a reasonable price.

Needs of the Young Animal. The young, growing animal requires j& greater proportion of proteins and mineral matter than the adult. The (pregnant adult needs more mineral matter, especially lime and phosphates, fthan when not pregnant. The breeding ptock do not want the same kind of Seed as stock being fattened for marjket. Now where does bran fit. in! Bran, Innlike pollard, does not vary a great Heal in food value. The bran from one Imill is very much like the bran from lanother mill in New Zealand. Two [samples may look different, but 'when analysed they will be surprisingly close fin food value. Bran, while fairly high sii crude fibre, is an excellent food. It is wich in mineral matter and high in protein, besides being a good source of the (body stimulators or vitamins. The protein in bran is about 12.5 per icent. as compared with 9.5 per cent, in wheat and 8.5 per cent, to 9 per cent. Sn oats. 'ln other words, 1001b of bran will supply 12.51b of flesh-building food, [whereas wheat will give but 9.51b and oats 8.51b to 91b. For rapid growth, the amount of protein to non-protein Material in a food should be' in the {proportion of 1 of protein to about 5 jof non-protein. Bran has such a pation, whereas in wheat and oats the Relationship is roughly 1 part of protein to 8 parts of non-protein.

Bran Rich in Mineral Matter. Bran is exceedingly rich in mineral matter. No cereal stock food can compare wtih it in this reapect. Wheat has 1.5 per cent, to 2 per cent, of mineral matter, oats 2 per cent., pollard ]4.5 per cent., while bran contains 5 jper cent, to 6 per cent. Bran lias six [times as much lime and phosphates as wheat. This is an important consideration -when feeding young stock and (pregnant adults on non-limestone country. The iron content of bran is over [three times that in whole cereals, j Iron and minute amounts of copp.gr [play an important part in the production of normal healthy blood. Normal [blood means not only quick maturity, tout also more freedom from infection. Many limestone districts contain a fair bmonnt of iron, but in non-limestone [country the - feeding • of 'bran ■ would (largely take care of iron-deficiency.-

Superior in Vitamins. And last, but not least, are those body Ltimulators about which we hear so much,' and about which w« know so Kittle—vitamins. These substances' are [abundantly present in 1 green grass, (especially in the leafy parts. Thus, when plenty of young grass is present, Un adequate supply of vitamins will (also be available for the stock. Under restricted green grass conditions one

[has to look elsewhere for these essential body stimulators. Fortunately more important ones are usually stored-up in the grains of cereals. The storage is not uniform throughout the -wheat berry; on the'contrary, (it has been found by carefully conducted feeding trials that the bulk of the vitamins are stored in that part of wheat known as bran pollard, and Ithat the .starch part, or white flour, has lonly a, very small quantity. Thus bran jbecomes a semi-concentrated source of vitamins. Summarising, bran is, then, more (valuable than its physical appearance fwould lead one to believe. It is a good wource of protein for flesh nd muscle iproduction. It is the richest source of (mineral matter of all cereal stock foods, land for this reason alone is a splendid ifeed for stock on non-limestone country. It is a storehouse of vitamins which are essential for the good health and rapid maturity of the animal.

SHOW DATES. The following are forthcoming show idates: — [March 22nd (Tuesday)—Amuri. (March 28th (Monday)— Mackenzie, at Fairlie. {March 31st (Thursday)—Temuka, at , Winchester. lApril 2nd (Saturday)—Methven.