WHEAT FOR STOCK

Northern Advocate, 6 November 1931, Page 9

WHEAT FOR STOCK

PRICE AND VALUE. Brought about by the low rates ruling on the markets, the question of the value of wheat as feed for live stock is occupying the minds ot’ farmers in various parts of the world. One American publication, dealing with this subject, says wherever wheat is available there is no justification for selling it and buying maize, especially as wheat fed to animals in some instances will nearly double the market juice of the wheat. Another journal says the present conditions, with a surplus of wheat and a shortage of corn and other feed crops, afford an opportunity to realise Viet ter returns from wheat by feeding it to farm animals than by selling it on the market. The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station says:—■ ‘•Wheat is worth more as feed for live stock than it is bringing on the market. When maize is equal in price or higher than wheat it will pay to feed wheat to live stock. ”

Oklahoma Experiment Station reports that when fed moist grinding increases the value of wheat 15 per cent., as against seven per cent, when ground and fed dry. The Colorado Station recommends that wheat be coarsely ground or rolled in the wheat with good protein foods.

No~th Dakota Station finds that wheat can lie used to advantage as a substitute for any farm-grown grain or for wheat bran in the dairy cow’s ration. South Dakota Station considers wheat and maize almost identical in food value. Oregon Station also considers ground barley, cracked wheat and shelled corn equal in feeding value for practical purposes. Missouri. Station found from experiments that ground wheat was superior to ground maize, and lias issued a circular recommending feeding rations, including wheat.

Even in the wheat State of .Kansas the experiment station has published a circular endorsing wheat /or hogs and sheep. In Montana, another wheat State, the station found wheat 10 per cent, more efficient than whole barley in producing gains in live S topic.

The verdict in favour of using lowprice wheat as stock feed is practically unanimous, ns is also the conclusion that cracking it or grinding it coarsely before feeding increased the feeding value far above the expense of grinding.