The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-11-02
'mkhk H'af.3.
Box and Stall.Feediug Cattle.


From tho american Stock Journal.
There are various opinions as to the best
and most profitable way Of accomplishing
this branch of the grazier's occupation
The commonest way is to keep the stock in
sheds surrounding open folds or yards,
and to tie up the actual fattening cattle,
and leave the others at liberty; but here
the rain and rain-water from the roofs of
the sheds descend upon the manure and
wash all the finest particles away. Stalls
or sheds in which the fattening cattle are
tied up in couples, or sometimes singly, is
the next system. Here the litter is chang
ed twice or thrice week, and consequent
ly, unless the reservoir for the manure is
very well arranged, loss must ensue.
In well-arranged stalls there are shutters
which may be used whenever the wheather
is inclement, and cattle and stalls are reg
ularly cleaned and attended to. The new
system, however, is that of box-feeding.-
This consists in enclosing the cattle in box
es about eight or ten feet square and 10
feet high. The animals are not tied up
These boxes are sunk in the ground from
two to three feet, and in the excavation, or
tank, thus formed the manure is suffered
to accumulate until it rises to the level of
the external soil. Thus mass of straw
saturated with excrementitious matter is
obtained and preserved intact until it is
required for some portions of land; all that
straw over this bed of manure every day,
and not particle of fertilizing matter will
be lost. The animals, being free to move
about, trample the whole into a compact
mass, and will lie down on it without ap-
pearing Inconvenience by the exhalations
from it, and certainly without suffering in
appearance or health. Indeed, numerous
experiments tend to prove that this is ope
of the most economical and advantageous
ways of feeding cattle for the butcher, 1t
is not, however, adapted for breeding cat
tie, as they require more air and exercise
to develop their powers, nor do We recon-
mend it for dairy cattle while kept for
dairy purposes.
Stall feeding usually commences about
the end of October, and lasts nearly seven
months, or until the commencement of
May. Of all vegetable productions good
hay and corn is undoubtedly the best for
fattening cattle; yet except on the most
1rxur;a nj coil ., enA;,;opoy IF - 49, ..-.,,,
be obtained for finishing them off for the
market; hence it becomes neess sary to have
recourses to other things in combination
with it, as cabbages, carr OTIS, parsnips,
turnips, or other suosulent plants, or oil
cake. Barley, rse, oats or corn-meal if
mixed tosethes> in equal proportions, with
the OCCASIONAL addition of a small quantity
of bean meal. may like wise be given with
advantage, if the prif;e will admit of it, in
the ratio ola quar- Ter, or, at most, half
peck, to. each bea st, in conjunction with
cut hay. Of the last mentioned article it
may be observed, that the hay made from
grass moved after the cattle, is usually
employed for feeding live stock at the
beginning of winter, the best being reserv-
ed for the spring; and where a few pounds of
salt have been thrown over each load, when
stacked, it is so grateful to cattle, that
they have been known to prefer poor hay
sailed to good hay untouched. Salt acts as
condiment; it assists digestion; and evil
IDENTIFY is eaten with avidity by Illuminating
animals.
One of the most luxurant of all veget-
able productions is the sugar beet, with its
numerous varieties, ard when chopped and
combined with cesn fodder or eat straw,
cut into chaff, it has been found singularly
useful as winter fodder for store stock. 1t
is relishea by all feeding animals. 1t fur
nishss a wholesome nutritious food, which
with the addition of good hay, will fatten
oxen or bullocks in the short space Of five
months, besides yielding large quantity
of manure.
Turnips and Parsnips have been employ
ed not only for feeding store cattle, but
particularly for fattening oxen, who eat
them with avidity, and thrive rapidly upon
them. They are supposed by some graziers
to give the meat peculiarly juicy charac
er and excellent favour; but occasionally,
they will eloy the appetite, and therefore
should not be given alone or continued for
any length of time. In New Jersey,
where they are largely used as food for ali
animals, bullocks are said to be fattened
on them in three months. The flesh is
considered superior to any other beef, and
command an additional price.
Next to parsnips we may place the carrot.
1t is more grateful to cattle than the par
snip, and scarcely yields to it in point of
nutriment. 1t is better calculated than
the parsnip to be a constant food. 1t is
usually given in a raw state, and should
be accompanied by hay or chaff.
1t is only of late years that the value of
the mangel-wurzel has begun to be justly
appreciated. 1t bids fair to rival the Swed-
ish turnip. For stall-feeding until the
spring, turnips are the best; but at that
season the turnips having lost portion of
their nutritive quality, and the magel-
wurzel from keeping, having lost much of
its watery particles, and thus improved, 1 |
then prefer the latter. Had our winters of |
late been as severe as they used to be in |
former times, mangel-wurzel would have |
been thought more valuable than it has
hitherto been.
KEEPING OLD SHEEP.
About one-half of the farmers who keep
sheep, manage to have lot of old run
down ewes every fall to:either sell at trife