Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-28
Agritmltnral.
Fattening Animals in a Hurry.

We have pointed out in former years the
futilty of attempts to lay heavy masses OF
flesh on poor cattle by stufing them with
rich food. Such attempts not only prove
to be failures, but are always wasteful.-
The material consumed is nearly lost the
animals remain comparatively poor, and
the owners are convinced that fattening
animals for market "don't pay"
1t is perhaps we'll for the cause Of good
management that all neglected treatment
of animals should result in loss to the own
or. If he has starved his cattle, sheep and
pigs for a year or more, he can not atone
for it by sudden attempts to push them to
fatness. On the contrary, the only true
way is to see that growth continues with
ont cessation, summer and winter, from the
earliest period of their existence till they
are finally sold in market 4 single check
given to this continued progress may ar
rest or retard it for months. Our own OBJ
servations lead us to the opinion that the
whole profits resulting from raising and
fattening, when this continued progress is
kept up by careful, regular but not extrav
agant feeding, are at least triple the
amount realized from early neglect and
heavy feeding afterwards-and often the
difference is many times greater than here
stated
There is nothing that should be more
strongly impressed on the mind OF the
young farmer who makes the feeding Of
animals prominent part Of his business,
than the Importance Of keeping up an I'M
remitting growth throughout the whole
course of their existence The most sue
cessful pork-raiser with whom we are ac
quainted adheres strictly to this course !;
not only feeding his store pigs well and
regularly through fall and winter, but COM
mencing the fattening not merely in autumn,
as is too commonly the case, but early IN
the spring.
1t is objected that this manner is too eX-
pensive. This objection is urged by those
who find two or three months only to CON
sumo more than they can afford. They
feed heavily for short time, but do not re-
ceive a corresponding return of increased
flesh. eff two months feeding" they in
quire, 'costs us so much money, how can
we ever afford to continue it for two or
three years :" 1t is very true they can not
because the whole system which they adopt
is a proftless one Fortunately it does
not require heavy feeding to keep the con-
is great error into which many have fall
en-, which we have endeavored to correct.
John Johnston made the remark some
years ago that the copious feeding of grain
or meal to cattle is no better than a mod
crate amount We gave the statement
some years ago Of experiments performed
by G. H. Chase, of Cayuga county, who
carefully weighed every week all his fat
aIS 4 off fam
quarts Of barley meal to fine steer, gave
a weekly increase in weight averaging IS
pounds. A neighbor advised him to push
him, and eight quarts were accordingly fed
daily. The weekly increase of flesh was
less than when he received four quarts
The amount being increased to twelve
quarts per day, he gained nothing at all.
Several similar instances have come to our
knowledge, and among others a fine animal
was recently fed by neighbor a peck or
more of rich meal per day. After thus
urging on the fattenng process as he sup
posed, for several weeks, lie was finally
sold and proved to be only a few pounds
heavier than when purchased. The many
bushels Of feed which he had consumed, and
the labor of attendance given him, literal
ly went for nothing.
Successful feeders, who proved all their
experiments by weighing, have long since
asccrtained that animals III fine condition
will lay on more flesh for the amount of
food eaten than those of inferior character
Hence shrewd men will not purchase lean
and raw-boned animals for fattening This
fact serves to establish the truth that all
animals at all stages of growth should be
kept feshy 1t need be scarcely necess-
AIRY so remind an intelligent manager that
the difference between attending to all the
comforts Of an animal by cleanliness, good
wholesome food given regularly and in
moderate quantity, and neglecting all these
particulars, is simply the difference be
tween those i'll fine healthy condition and
such are feebleSnd raw-boned. 1t may
be laid down as true, with scarcely an eX
ception, that the farmer who carries on the
business of fatteniDg at a loss, is one who
neglects at one time and over-feeds at an
nother.--COuHtryG Gentlemen.