The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-11-20
FATTENING ANIMALS.


faten animals intended for slaughter as
rapidly as possible, if we wish to obtain
the greatest quantity of meat in proportion
to the food consumed. The reason is this:
1t takes certain amount Of food, daily, to
support life, or to supply the natural waste
of the body. For instance, suppose fifteen
bushels of meal and FIVE bundred pounds
Of hay will bring an animal to certain
degree Of fairness in forty days that is al
lowing peck and half of meal aud
twelve and half pounds of hay to be con.
snmed daily. Now suppose i, takes a
fourth part of this daily allowance to sus>
tain life and supply The waste of the body ;
then. if instead of feeding out our whole
quantity of food 10 Jorty days, we proIong
the time to an hundred and sirty DAYS, the
food would BE- wasted, aud the trouble and
labor OF feeding expended for nohinq; as
the animal might be in worse condition
at the expiration of that time than when
we began feeding.
This is matter which has been too
little regarded, and as a consequence,
there hes been a useless expenditure
of food and labor. Ia the animal
economy, the accumulation of fat and ex-
ira flesh, is only deposit of superhoous
nutriment, which not being required bv
the system at one time, is laid by for fu
lure emergencies and must be obvious
that the larger the quaotily of food which
a fal!ening animal can be made 10 consume
daily, with good appetite, OF to digest
thoroughly, the greater will be the amount
OF flesh and fat gained in proportion to the
whole quantity OF food consumed.
Another essential point in ftttening am
imaIs, is to keep them in a quiet and com
Portable condition. We do not propose 10
engage at present IN q consideration of the
relative action of the different organs of
the animal body. Every farmer has,
however, more or less noticed the connec-
ton which The nervous system has with
the digestive and secretive organs. An
animal may consume large amount of
food, but ii it is so situated that it is resl>
less and discontinued, the accumulation of
fat will be on Y at a slow aud Improbable
rate. We have seen hogs and cattle in.
tended for slaughter, rendered so entirely
uncomfortable from the GOODNESS and filth.
ness of their situation, that they scarcely
throve at all, though they consumed and
wasted much more food than they would
have required properly cared for. Hence
the saying, that Gan animal will fret off
flesh faster than it can be gained"
Animals should not be confined TO wet
and muddy places. Cattle and sheep that
are fed with grain and vegetables, should
be provided with clean managers. Eating
hogs should be fed in clean troughs, or
on clean dry floors, and their sleeping
places should be dry and sufficiently
warm. They should not be expected to
perform much labor in the compost yard
that service should be rendered when they
are in working Trim, and not after they
are full fed and are becoming overloaded
with fat Al exerlion is attended with a
waste OF muscular tissue, and the more
laborous the exertion, the greater is the
expenditure. Hence the increase ia
weight will be most rapid BY allowing
the animal TO remain as much at RESI- as is !
consistent with the preservation of its
health. u .Alb. CuJ.