Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-04
Taking Into Account the Weather.

Every stock-feeder knows that animals
consume far more feed in cold than in
mild weather. They know, also, that in
windy weather animals suffer more from
cold than in still weather, although the
thermometer may mark much lower
degree of cold in the latter than in the
former case.
A portion of the food of animals goes
to supply waste, and large part of this
waste is in the form of heat This heat
is supplied by carbonaceous matter in
the provender, and if the food taken be
not sufficient to supply the demand it is
furnished by the fat of the body, stored
up for the purpose, and the animal
shrinks in weight. For this reason ami
mails kept on hay and straw alone, both
OF which are deficient in starch. sugar.
gum and other forms of carbon, which,
in the animal is represented by fat, lose
weight constantly in the winter and, If
exposed to the inclemency of storms,
often come through so poor that they
can scarcely stand. Some even die be-
fore they can recuperate on grass.
1t is evident, therefore, that il will not
pay the breeder and feeder to allow an
animal to lose flesh seriously. For if he
do, ii must be replaced and the same an
imal waste must be given off in increas-
ing the flesh the second time as was
previously done. Hence the economy in
keeping an animal thriving as uniformly
as possible during the whole period Of
growth, or until IL be ready for the
butcher. This precept is now too gen.
orally understood by intelligent stock
men to need elaboration.
1t is also pretty well known that ami
al nf ayh nj hs,r
must have an extra supply of concen-
trated food to enable them to respond TO
the extra strain upon their systems.
But it is not generally known that con-
stituents are called for in the one case
that are not essential in the other.
At exhausting labor not only is heat
evolved and carried away, but the mus.
Gle and nerve power Is wasted and,
therefore, the animal must be supplied
with food consisting largely Of nitrogen
as well as carbon. These, oats, barley,
wheat, etc, supply. But where the ami
NAL is simply required to keep up the
supply of fat wasted through exposure
to cold Indian corn will furnish these
requisites most perfectly; since, besides
oil and starch, both forms Of carbon, II
contains fair proportion OF the flesh
forming elements.
To bring the whole down to the point
which we set out to elucidate: During
cold weather store animals, beside the
usual amount of fodder necessary to
keep them in condition, under ordinary
circumstances, should have corn given
them daily; and this in proportion tn
the severity of the weather and the ex-
posture they have to submit to; and, also,
IT should be given them at the precise
time they need IL; since, II they have to
draw upon the fat already stored up this
must again be accumulated.
Experiments carefully conducted show
that the human body Is raised in tenn
perature from two to three degrees
Fahrenheit after taking meal The
same law will work with animals. Ii
full fed they have greater powers OF en-
durancc and OF withstanding cold, SO
that the wise farmer should not grudge
the extra feed Mt such times, for by IL he
saves the waste, at the very time 1t
should be conserved, and this enables the
animal to carry flesh through the pinch,
and again go on increasing In growth or
fat as soon as the weather moderates.
Warm shelter Is of the utmost impor-
lance in this connection, since II saves
feed and becomes Of more and more I'M
portance in proportion TO the scarcity
and high price OF food, so that the feeder
who expends some twenty dollars In
providing shelter and thereby saves
larger amount in the value OF the forage
supplied is not only saving food. but is
also saving in the cheapening OF the
food products II is evident that II 5
per cent. could be saved In the food by
means of shelter it would leave large
amount of grain to be employed In other
directions. So, taking into account the
weather, the Western Rural believes 1t
will pay the feeder not only tn provide
shelter for stock, but also TO supplement
this shelter with increased forage during
the cold storms of rain, snow, or wind
which so often prevail all over our prai-
rie regions - Western Rural.