Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-01-01
agricultural.
Cooking Food for Animals.

W nat Is the erect OF cooking food p? Starch,
az found in the cells OF vegetables, consists
of globules or grains, contained in kind of
FAC and in order to burst these grains it
must be subjected to heat. Payen, on exam
nation with the microscope, found that when
starch was mixed with water and heated to
l4O0. some Of the smaller grains absorbed
water and burst. but many still remained
unaffected, and only burst between 1922 and
2l29 Of heat This shows, conclusively,
that the heat of the animal stomach is not
sufficient 70 utilize starchy food, and when
we reflect that about sixty per cent. of the
cereal grains consist of starch we see the
great loss which must occur from the want
OF cooking. And if the cereal grains re-
quire cooking bow much more must the dry
fibre of hay, straw and corn fodder require it !
The woody fibre of hay, straw, &c, consists
chemically, of the same clements as starch.
Starch may be turned into gum and sugar ;
SO may woody fibre, after being dried and
ground, and by the same means-heat and
dilute sulphuric acid.
All woody fibre will yield to steam pres
sure, and when thus reduced to a pulpy mass,
most of it is digestible, and can be assimla-
ted by the animal stomach. Grass, the ma
tural food of domestic animals, in its succu-
lent state is soluble, and needs but the natu-
raj heat and acid of the stomach to convert
It into nutriment. Hay, straw, &C., by
thorough stcamIng are reconverted into grass,
and thus the animal may be furnished with
its natural food through the winter.
We can say, after eleven years experience in
cooking the winter food OF our animals, that
the advantages are all that theory would indi-
cate. Steaming renders mouldy hay, stra =.
and corn stalks sweet and paatable, thus re-
storing their value !; renders peas and beans
agreeable food for horses, as well as otheI
stock, and thus enables the feeder to combine
more heterogeneous food in the diet of his ami
mails.
We have found half hay and half straw
mixed and steamed more than equal to ha,
unsteamed- Pea straw, when cooked Il
readily eaten, and if cut early, is nearly al
nutritious as hay. Bean straw which, wher
dry. Is generally left untouched by cattle
viii be ali eaten il steamed with hay and al
analysis shows, is more than equal in flesh
forming matter to hay. Corn-stalks. wher
cut short and steamed, Will be eaten clear
by cattle, horses and sheep. By cutting an,
cooking. all the straw and coarse fodde
raised on the farm may be turned into milk
flesh and wool, besides adding largely to tn
manure heap.
In the cities, where cows are kept to sup
ply milk, and are MIXED through the winter
cooking their food will greatly increase tn
yield of milk, improve the condition of tn
cow. and reduce the expense of keeping a
least one-third. The saving in food for eac
cow in milk viii be, at least eight dollars pc
season. This item may be worth looking al
ter by city feeders. The mixture of oil an
pea meal and bran, as we have indicated
makes an excellent food to produce milk an
keep up the condition of the cow. One an
a half pounds each of oil and pea meal an
three pounds of bran, mixed with ten pound
of hay and steamed. per day, for each Coz
weighing eight hundred pounds, will genel
ally be sufficient This may be thought
small quantity from which COW of tina
size, at her best season. could produce fou
gallons of milk and keep up her condition
but it must be remembered that four gallor
of milk contain only about four pounds
dry matter, which Will leave supply for til
thrift of the cows. Yet it is ALWAYS the be,
economy to give a cow in milk all she wi
eat with good appetite; for it takes ce
tain quantity to keep the COW in conditio
without gaining any milk, and what she wi
eat above this should be added to the mill
Thirty-three 10 forty per cent. would requil
TO be added if uncooked But with the est
mate given, it will be seen what splendi
margin there is in producing milk in citi'
at ten cents per quart
This combination of food recommended Fl
milk cows is well adapted to growing I'll
young animal, as it contains full supply
bone and muscle nutriment. For fattenin
let the pea meal be replaced with six poun'
of corn meal. Corn meal may also be USE
In small quantities, for milk where butter
to be made.
EFFECT OF COOKED FOOD UPON ANIMALS
1t has sometimes been urged that althous
the animal cats less and for time thriv
better upon cooked food, yet its tendency
70 weaken the stamina Of the system al
produce premature decay. We have be,
able to test this theory fairly, and can no
show as the result, COWS and horses viii,
have been fed every winter upon cooked fot
fofeleven years. and SO far from showing az
m effects Of this way of feeding, the GOV
L.ve never been sick and are now in cond