The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-12-19
,Ock Feeding.

= rock Feeding.
4 correspondent from Summit County, this
State, writes that he has but twenty tons on
hand, against thirty tons last year. with aboue
the same amount of stock to feed. tie has
the usual amount of straw stacked in the
ward, to which he usually allows his cattle
free access through the day. lie has no more
stock than the farm should maintain and he
desires to know how he can make his twenty
tons of hay last through the winter. As
many farmers who will read this may find
themselves placed in similar circumstances,
we will be excused for answering this query
at some length.
The importance of economy IN feeding
stock i underestimate. 1t is so hard to get
out of the old routine Of dong things. We
become accustomed to certain m0daS opef,
anJt, and we adhere to it, although convinced
that there is a better way, until circumstances
compel Us to do otherwise. y few facts
ought to convince US that this subject is i'm
poytant enough to demand serious attention.
A rreat part of the severe lahorS OF the far
mer through six months Of the year are de-
voted TO raising and garncrng food to main.
tain his stock through the remaining SIX
months, and then nearly all his labors during
these latter SIX months are devoted to taking
Gaze Of them. 1t requires more food to keep
the domestic animals OF the United States
than It does to maintain its whole population
of human bipeds. The value of the total hay
crop OF this country is annually about $500,
0OO,0OO. This is all fed to the stock of the
country, most of it through the few months
of winter. Now if, by more economical
method Of feeding, cne-fOurth of this vast
amount of hay could be saved, it would
amount to Sl0O,OO0,000, which, distributed
among the farmers Of the United States would
he no insignificant increment to their annual
income. The profits of the farmer should
arise from the stock he keeps, and these pro
fits will be greater or less in proportion to his
economy IN feedlng. When farmer has
plenty OF teed he does not feel the necessity
of economy, and a most wasteful method IS
the consequence. We know many good stock
farms that produte abundantly, but are, not
outstanding mudl less profitable to their
owners than other Earms far less productive,
lust from this Causealone.
The usual method OF most farmers is to
feed nothing but dry ,ay or fodder to cattle {;
sheep the same, with, perhaps, the addition
of a little grain. Hors,s are the only stock
that get grain regularly. Now dry teed
is unnatural-one of the necessities, IN this
climate, of domestication In the natural
state animals seek and obttn green succu-
lent food, and reason would therefore teach
us that the nearer we can approach this the
better every way. One of tn. essential diff.
fercpces in dry aad green food1ies in the diff.
ticulry OF masticating the forme, For much
of the energies of the animal mus be devoted
to It. Tue process Is more or less imperfect,
ana loss OF substance must follow. This can
be overcome by pulveriZing the tOooby artf-
cial means cutting, grinding or 2ulping.
The demand for machinery to do TIL; work
ha. created supply, and cheap mtchines
can now be obtained that will do the work
well, either by hand or horse power. Cat of
he many experiments made to determine the
relative value Of different kinds of food, ed
n various ways, we gather the following
fac's, an application of which will help on.
correspondent out of his dilemma; a bushe
Of cut straw, fed with two quarts of middling,
or steamed bran, is fully equal to the same
weight of good timothy hay. One quart OF
corn meal, mixed with cut straw, is equiva
lent to the same. Certain elements OF food
produce flesh, other elements heat, fat, etc.
and a certain portion of all dry food is woody
fiber. of no value at all. Analysis of wheat
straw shoes that it contains % per cent. OF
heGt.producing elements, and Is notably def
cieni in hesh-forming principles alone. If
this Is supplied by bran or middlings, as be
tore described, the straw Is converted, at
small expense, into that much hay In this
as hay Ii our correspondent will sci. five
toas OF his hay and buy five tons OF middl.
ing, and feed it with cut straw, he will
b.ng his stock through the winter in better
condition than he could with the hay alone,
aud At less expense, counting in the cost of a
machine for cutting. His straw is turned
into hay, instead of being trampled down
into the manure pile, the food is more easily
ma-iicated and digested, and the manure
made thus IS of more value, if properly taken
care of. Corn fodder can be treated same as
straw with better results, as it contains more
acshforming substance, and hence requires
less miGdl:ngs to mix with it, It's value is
greatly increased By pulring or crushing.
The difference in the consumption Of food
when stock are housed in warm and comfor.
table quarters and when they are constantly
exposed to the cold IS immense. The average
COW. for instance, requires about two and a
half pounds of fieshiOrming clements per
day, and if warmly sheltered not more than
fifteen pounds Of the elements Of respiration.
or heat.prOGucing elements, such as are sup
piled by the straw, corn fodder, etc. But
when exposed to cold she will require TWEEN.
" or twenty-five pounds, or One-third more.
Young, growing ANIMALS require more albU-
minoids OF fiesh-forming food, than thosethst
arc ma;uTeC. IS both waste and growth must