Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-07-10
The Economy OF Mixed or Varied Food
for Animals.

To THE casual observer the forage pro
duced on an old pasture seems to consist of
but one or two different species of plants.
Careful examination corrects this error,
aud shows that on each square foot of old
sod the species of plants which may be
found are To be numbered by the dozen.
We see here the beautiful provision made
by nature for supplying variety in the
food of our domestic animals, and it re-
quired but little experience TO show that
almost all animals love variety The horse
alternates between oats and hay; the
cow leaves hay to feed upon corn fodder,
and then rejects the fodder and prefers u
little hay.
Now we believe that both on the score
of economy and humanity, the taste of all
our domestic animals should be consulted
10 the fullest extent possible, But beyond
this there is much to urge us to intro
duce variety into the food of our cattle.
1t is well known that different kinds of
food possess very different values as sources
of nutriment. twas at one time supposed
that the value of each variety might be
determined by the per centage of nitrogen
which it contained, and, as nitrogen is the
most expensive of all the constituents of
food the originatOrs of this theory were
not very far wrong. But il happens that
other substances beside nitrogen are
necessary for the support of the animal,
and as certain proportion of nitrogen
can be used 1t becomes necessary to pre-.
vide a full supply of the other elements,
and if the nitrogen is in too large porpor-
ton, it is simply wasted 1t is Just as if
we were to furnish builder with GER
tain quantity of bricks and mortar for the
purpose of building n house. A ton Of
| lime may be more valuable than ton of
brick, hut if we furnish more mortar than
the proper portion, the excess is simply
| wasted.
Now all feeders ought to understand
| that il is not what passes through the in
testinal canal of an animal, but what
passes through his system-in other
words, what is digested and assimilated,
that does him good. Nitrogen is eXpen-
sive and valuable, but If we furnish more
than the animal requires, il passes through
the bowels in an undigcSted state and is
lost
| II is of course understood that much of
the food that is eaten by herbiyerous ami.
mails passes through them undigested and
unabsorbed, and II seems that the action
of such bulky food is necessary, not only
for the purpose of allowing ruminants TO
chew the cud, but in order to stimulate
| and lrritate To certain extent the surface
| Of the alimentary canal. Men often over.
look this fact and fancy that they can
feed concentrated and easily digested food
TO cattle and so obtain astonishing results.
! Beyond a certain limited extent this is not
true, and its falsity was perfectly illustrated
by the mortality of the cows fed on the
swill of the New York distilleries. Swill
never injured an animal iffed in moderate
quantities, but animals, especially rumi-
nants, fed exclusively on swill, soon be
come diseased. Add bulk and solldity in
the shape of cut straw, and this difficulty
will be removed. by adding swill TO the
dry food of any milk cow, we can increase
very perceptlhly the amount of milk pro-
duced, as well as improve the general
health of the animal.
But 1t would seem that the chemical
constitution Of this bulky portion is not
of much consequence Straw is as good
as anything else, and il would be of great
folly to use extra supplies of rich and di-
gesiible food, whether nitrogenous or 9th
erwise, merely for the purpose Of obtaining
bulk.
But while we thus seek 10 increase the
bulk of the food which Is indigested by
the animal, we must remember that IL we
! hEst of all feed pleasant and nutritious