The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-11-26
F~ATTENINa

FATTENtNG ANIMALS.
The following hints on the subject,
that valuable agricultural journal,
the Albany CuhiUator, will be found OF
interest,"
Substances in which the nutriment is
much concentrated should be fed with
care. There is danger, especially when
the animal isl first put to feed, that
more may be eaten at once than the
digestive organs can manage. Meal
of Indian corn is highly nutritive,
and when properly fed causes animals to
fatten faster than almost any other food.
They will not, however, bear to be ex-
clusively kept on this article for any
length of time. Meal made from the
heaviest varieties of corn, especially that
grown in the northern and eastern
States, is quite too strong food for cat
tie, sheep, or horses to be fulfilled upon.
Hence-on of the advantages of having
the cob ground with the corn, by which
the nutriment is diffused through o
greater bulk, lays lighter on the stom-
ach, and is more thoroughly digested.
The effect of pure corn meal on animals
we suppose to be similar to that some
times produced on our own species by
the use of fine wheat hour-the subject
becomes dyspeptic, and is forced to use
bread which has the bran mixed with
the -four. The mixture of the cob with
the corn answers the purpose of bran
the health of the animal is preserved,
and the process of digestion goes on un-
interruptedly. In fact, the advantages
of grinding the cob and corn together
for feeding cattle may be said to be well
established. For hogs, the benefit of
the cob is not, we think, So evident /;
those animals appearing to be better
adapted to taking their nourishment in
a concentrated form than those which
ruminate or chew their cud. Yet food
sufficiently bulky to effect the distention
of the bowels is necessary for hogs.
Hay or straw cut into lengths so short
af to be readily mixed with meal an
swers a good purpose in rendering the
meal easy of digestion, and in enabling
the animal to extract all the nutriment
from it.
The conclusion arrived at from the
result of a series of experiments, insti-
tuted by the Highland Society CT Scot
land, a few years ago, was, that the SUI
periority of cooked over uncooked food
for cattle is but trifing, and not sufi-
cient to balance the cost but for hogs,
the extra cost Of preparation was repaid
The appetite and health of the ami
mails are prompted by giving a variety
of food. This fact has led to the prep.
aration for fatteDing stock. For fatten-
ing hogs we have used, with advantage,
the following mixtures /. Two parts
potatoes and two parts pumpkins boil
together until they can be easily mashed
fine, then add one part meal, stirring
and mixing intimately together. The
heat of the potatoes and pumpkins will
scald or cook the meal, and when cold;
the mixture will be a stiff pudding. 2.
Two parts of potatoes and two of ripe
palatable apples (eithef from corn, bar
ley, or oats and peas, allowing the same
weights), and mix together while the
potatoes and apples are hot.
Hogs are more fond of food when it is
slightly fermented mot becoming pun
gently sour), and they appear to fatten
faster if it is given to them in this state.
we have never seen hogs thrive faster
than when fed on these mixtures, with
occasionally a little dairy slop, and we
have always found the pork solid and Of
good quality"