Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-14
On Fnatening AnimaIs.

The fattening Of ANIMALS is subject Of universal
interest and no point of rural economy should be
more carefully looked to by the farmer.
The following suggestions are judicious and to
the point though notnew and are worthy of careful
perusal:
The breed is of great Importance. A well
hired animal not only affords less waste, but has the
meat in the right places the fibre is tender and juicy
and the fat is put on Just where 1t IS wanted COh-
pare the hind leg Of full Diooo durham OK anu
common one. The bone at the base OF the tau ex-
tends much further in the former, afording more
room for flesh and the thigh swells out OF convex
or circular shape; while in the common OK II 1alls
in disbinp and hollow. Now the "round IS the
the most Valuable cut and is only found IN pertec-
ton in hieh-bred stock The same is the case over
the whole body. So well do Eastern butchers I'M
derstand this that their prices are regulated by the
breed-even where two animals are equauy lat.
They know that in a Durham or hereford OK, not
only will there be less Offa IN proportion tn Welght
but the greatest quantity of meat will be where II
br;ngs the highest price when retailed; and Will De
of a richer and more tender fibre. The samels the
case with hogs. A large hog may chance 10 make
more meat on a given quantity Of food than small
one but the meat Of the first Will be coarse anu
tasteess compared with the other, and in the East
Aavour and tenderness greatly regulate prices Con-
seouenty mOderate-sized shOrt-legged. smali-head-
ed logs always in the long run, beat large breeds
ont of favor. There is nothing more certain than
kind of animal Will 1atten 10 gwen pOlut
on much less food than another; and as tattenlng
stock Is only another mode of selling our grain
ana grass those animals are to be preferred
which come to maturity soonest, and fatten on the
least food The difference in hogs IS very great
and important While some breeds must be fed Tor
two. or even three winters others are full grown
and fatten at ten months old and the difference IN
protit is enormous We cannot 60 into the partcu-
lars but the following rules may be considered as
applying to all All animal meat may be expected
to fatten easily when it has fine, soft, elastic SKIN
with thin or silky hair; the head and legs short
Che barrel large, but chest and lungs small, and
when it is quiet, sleepy and easy IN temper An
unouiet restless Guick-tempered animal is general
| " bad feeder, and Improbable.
2 Much depends in tattenlng, on outward and
| mechanical management. Fat is carbon, or the coal
! which supplies the body with heat. If we are ex
posed to cold it is burnt up IN our lungs as LIST as
is deposited by the blo5d, but if we are kept warm
by shelter or clothing It is deposited throughout the
/ body as a supply on hand when needed. Warm sta
bes and pens are a great assistance IN tattenlng
and sbould never be neglected. So also. quiet and
| peacefulness are important Every excited actor
| consumes some part of the body, which has to be
supplied by the food and detracts from the fat
! 3 Ground and cooked food fatten more probably
| than raw food. Mr.. Ellsworth found that hogs made
! as much flesh on one pound Of corn, ground anC
! boiled to mush, as two pounds raw unground corn
though the first did not fatten quite as rapidly as
they could not consume as much food IN tWentyioul
hours By grinding and steaming ten hogs Will eacf
gain 100 pounds in weight on the same food thathV
would do if it were raw.
4 A change of food helps in fattening. Thus ar
OK fed entirely on and hay will not tatten as
fast OF as well, as one which has roots, pumpkins
ground oats or buckwheat ETC.. fed to 1t at regular
intervals The latter may contain intrinsicaly less
nourishing matter than the corn, but the change
produces some unknown effect on the stomach anc
system that adds to the capabIty of depOsitng fat
The best feeders change the food very frequently
aud find that they make decdedprOft by 50 doing
SaIt should be given with every meal to cattle-say
| an ounce day. 1t preserves the appetite and pre-
vents tOrpOr of the liver, to which all fattenng am
mails are subject This torpOr or disease Is to {
certain extent conducive to fat put carried too fa
the animal SINKS under it.
5 In cattle the skin should be particularly attend
ed to- A fat animal is in unnatural state anC
consequently subject to disease. Taking no exer
else it has not the usual power of throwing on POI
sons out of the system, and if the skin IS foul, the
whole labor Is thrown upon the kidneys. 1t Is tount
bv experience that oxen regularly curred ard clean
ed daily fatten better and faster than when left Il
! themselves, and if the legs are pasted with dung
as is too often the case, it seriously Injuries thu
animal.
g. Too much rich food is injurious. The stomach
can only assimilate certain quantity at once. Thus
an OK will prosper better thirty pounds OF corr
and thirty pounds of cob ground together daily
than on forty pounds of ground corn. These mix
lures are also valuable and saving Of cost for hog
when first put in the pen. If an animal loses IL
appetite, the food should at once be changed; anC
if possible, roots pumpkins, or steamed hay may d.
given.
Z Oxen will fatten better if the hay stalks art
cut for them but care must be taken not to cut o'
short. An inch in length is about the right slz
for oxen, half or three-quarters of an inch FOL
horses.