Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-25
A1ritaltmral.
Feading Grain to Stock ProftablY.

There is a class of farmers, and perhaps
some among them read the american Agri-
,piturist, who still question whether it will
pay to feed animals the grain which they
themselves raise. They have not satisfied
themselves by their own experience in ma
king beet, mutton, or pork. If grain be
properly fed to animals of good breed,
there is no doubt about its being usually a
paying operation but led out unground
and irregularly, if the animals are ever so
good, it seldom pays. There is difference
also, in the manner of computing the gains
which usually accrue from the grain con-
sumed by animals \ good portion of the
profits of converting grain into meat of
any kind, cannot be realized by the sale of
the meat for many times an animal will
not sell for as much money as the grain and
hay it has consumed while fatenning In
view OF this fact alone, feeding grain APP
pears to be poor practice. Nevertheless,
multitudes of the best farmers of our coun-
try sell but little grain, others sell none at
ALL while many purchase much more than
they raise on their own land, and feed 1t
all to stock of some kind, and yet derive
paying profit from the business. Others
attempt it and fail because they feed poor
stock, not well purchased nor selected, or
because they do not feed with proper sys-
TEN, nor preserve with sufficient care the
solid and liquid manure of the fattening an
imals In fact it is in the manure alone
that the greater part of the profit of fatten-
ing beef sheep and swine consists, TO most
Of farmers of the United States. and the
rest of the ciruized world. The more man
ure, and the better saved, the greater the
profit, even in Illinois
The way to begin is, to get good animals
and to put them in fair order on grass
Meat can be made on grass in warm wealth
er more economically than on any other feed.
Those persons who attempt to make beef of
poor cows and bullocks, or mutton of poor
sheep, by feeding hay and grain, without
commencing on grass, will never make out
well.
When one intends to prepare a lot of bul-
locks or sheep for marketing in the spring,
he should commence feeding a small guam
tjty Of grain per head as soon as grass be-
gins to fail, for in passing from grass to hay
they should not be allowed to lose any of
the flesh or fat that has accumulated du-
ring the grazing season. If by irregular
ity of feeding, or by exposure to storms,
or by short allowances of feed, an animal
is required to use up pound of fat to
maintain the heat and to supply the natur-
al wastes Of the body it will take several
days to replace the small amount that has
been lost by this bad management. Every
animal should be fed enough to keep i'm
proving little every day. Some bullocks
require more meal than others, and the
same is true of sheep. a dry COW, or a
bullock three or four years old, designed
for beef next May or June should receive
not less than two quarts of Indian corn
meal, or its equivalent in some other grain,
during the month of December and Janua-
~. After this, the quantity may be increas-
cd at pleasure. and should always be in
creased from month to month, according to
the feeding capacity of the animal, the cal
culation being to finish off the fattening
with ten to twenty days grazing, without
reducing the quantity Of grain. In addi-
ton to this amount Of meal, they should
have Il loddering of hay, once daily, and
ui cUrnSCalks, and Il few hours daily in a
yard with access to good straw If far
mcr has power cutter, it is far more econ
oInca TO chafl the hay, straw and corn
stalks, wet it, and mingIe the meal with it,
Fced prepared in this manner, is better for
sheep as well as neat cattle and horses
The use Of oil-mcal for beef animals must
be- regulated on the same principles as a
substitute for part Of tllci meal Wcthers
and dry ewes should receive nearly or quite
one pound Of Indian corn or corn meal per-
head daily or what is better, half pound
OF oil meal and half pound Of corn or Of
barley meal mixed 1t is folly to attempt
to make meat in cold weather, without com
plctc protection from cold and wet.