Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-11-24
Tur MA,Aormrvr AND FooD OF Donssr,c

Tuc MANAGEMENT AND FooD OF DOMESTIC
AslMaLs-It has been demonstrated by the
most careful investigation, that an OK con-
sumes, on an average, 2 per cent. of his own
live weight per day Of good nay, TO preserve
him in condition. To accomplish ordinary
labor, he requires to have this food increased
by one fourth, consuming 2l-2 per cent. per
day. Now, what is the inference deducbe
from this fact and fact it is in principle, if not
entirely in degree! Why, that every yoke OF
idle cattle consumes as much food as is expen-
ded in the labor of yoke that is, it requires
as much to support yoke idle, as yoke at
work: or, one yoke will perform days with
the food necessary to support the five days IN
idleness. The appropriateness Of allowing
cattle to be idle is diminished in great de-
gree, when applied to such as have not entire
" attained their growth, when of course part
| Of the food consumed goes to the increase OF
| the animals. How vastly more economical,
J then, is that system which furnishes to work.
inc cattle liberal quantity of nutritious food,
and exac,s from them in return, a fair equiva-
lent of labor. A COW, not in milk, eats 2 per
cent of her weight in hay per day, yet. when
giving milk, she requires but per cent.
With given amount Of pasture thea, cows
may afford good supply of milk. on what is
necessary TO support 3 which do not furnish
any equivalent for the food consumed. The
advantage of keeping smaller number OF
cows full fed, in which the milking qualities
are well developed, in preference to wasting
the same food on greater number OF halt.
starved animals, lily adapted to the purpose
required of them, is perfectly obvious.
An OK eats but l-2 per cent. of his weight
per day to fatten, when, as We have said above,
| - ~l,, A,lc
port life, How important to an economical
expenditure of food then, that the fa,iing AMI.
mails have all they can ear instead Of distribn-
ting it among a greater number; for it should
always be borne in mind, that the vital ma
chine must ia all cases deduct certain amount
to support itself, before anything is added IN
the shape of milk, labor, or fat, for the profit
Of the owner.
Another important consideration is, to adapt
the food to the object desired. 1t is well
I known, that different kinds of food vary essen
tally in the principles which compose them.
All kinds Of grain, peas, beans, and rpened
grass, contain much greater proportion Of
nitrogen than flesh grass and hay cut in b!os-
som, roots, fruit, &c. The fat Of animals con-
tains no nitrogen, and butter scarcely an APP
probable quantity, while the lean or muscular
portion of flesh and cheese each contain large
proportion. II is well asceraned, that of all
the carbon taken into the stomach as food, the
horse daily expires about 100 ounces, and a
milch cow about 70 ounces, and an adult man
taking moderate exercise, 1879 ounces in the
form Of carbonic acid. This expenditure of
| the carbon Of the food is under all circumstan.
ces absolutely essential 10 respiration. All
action or motion, o: force, requires an expendi-
ture OF the muscular portion Of the animal, that
Is the more highly nitrogenized part. II fol-
lows then from the above principles, that for
the performance of labor, we'll ripened grass
and grain are required; and they are equally
necessary to produce the maximum Of cheese
and wool, the peculiar principle of the former,
caseln, and all the latter, being highly D,rog-
| enized whereas, if fa.ting alone is the ohieet
roots may be pIentifully added to the hay and
grain.
Cows do not yield so much cheese when
confined in a stable, as when rambling freely
over pasture. though they will yield much
more butter on the same food when confined.
1t is very properly supposed that exercise is
essential to the fullest development of the ca
seln In the milk. it being produced by The con-
sumption Of the tissue, and its subsequent con.
| version into casein.
| Another great consideration in the economi.
| cal management. uf animals is, that they be as
| well protected from cold and storms as circum
stances will permit. The proprie,y of This
will appear from the fact. that the expenditure
of the carbon of the food above stated. is re.
CURED TO sustain the animal heat at the neces.
sary temperature, and if this hea, be abstrac.
ted, from any cause. as exposure to cold,
Winds, or wet, an additional amount of food is
consumed, to supply the waste thus OCCASION
ed. This is an Inevitable deduction from the
most firmly established principles of science,
and however the health and thru. c! animals
which arc subject to such exposure may ap.
pear to convert il, actual experiment has fully |
confirmed the absolute certainty Of the CON |
clnsion. Animals may be as healthy, and
thrive well when exposed to the ncemency
OF the weather. We! they will require much |
greater quantity Of food to produce the same
effect, than when properly housed and pro,ec.
ted.-American AgricuIturist.
CURE FOR WHAT Is CALLED A RUN-Rousn !