The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-12-20

PRINCIPLES Of Stock Feeding.

Principles Of Stock Feeding. No
| well defined system Of stock manage
ment resting upon the lews of animal
growth and of the relations Of food to
each other in animal nutrition, is in
practice to any considerable extent in
! this country. 1t is a self-evident state
ment that working in harmony with
law is working 10 the best advantage.
As farmers, we are sadly out of har-
mony with the best methods of stock
management, thus coming greatly short
of obtaining the possible effective value
of our foods. Feeding is not as yet a
developed science, but very hopefully
developing one. Closely pressed by
having to compete with the low prices
of prairie steers, the only hope of East
ern feeders lies in the search for, and
observance of the laws that control in
this department of farm husbandry.
Allow me then to name few important
points that have come under my OBJ
seryati. in experimental feeding for a
few years past,
Every reader at once declares that the
matter is clear-it must be steer that
has been well bred, that inhefits large
capacity for consumption, digestion and
assimilation Of food. 1t is useless to
attempt to feed any other for profit in
| the East. but under the head of the
steer to feed / wish to make this point,
resting upon nv own observation and
that of others: This is the only steer
that one can afford to feed high; for,
when fed an increased ration over an
ordinary one, the well-bred steer assim-
Hates a very much heavier percentage
of this increase than an average steer,
and the poorer steers capacity for as
sanitation is so low that it will not give
a favorable response to heavy ration
Our steer must be of the larger
breeds; for a rapidly growing, or a large
animal, will make more growth on a
pound of food than one of smaller
breed A large beef presents less radi-
ating surface in proportion TO weight,
than a small one; thus, in case of the
latter. more food is required, partcu-
| larly in winter, to maintain the animal
heat. On this head practical expert
ence confirms theoretical considerations.
The animal should be early matured.
If steer is sold when 4 years of age,
weighing 900 pounds, then his average
weight for his lifetime would have been
not far from 800 pounds. Such an 500
pound steer have found will consume
IA pounds of hay day as maintenance
fodder, making no growth. Now, the
steer has consumed IA pounds day for
| Al years-how many steers require 6
years to weigh 1000 pounds-simply to
run the machine? 1t is the hay given
over this amount daily that makes the
growth. Growing our steer to 1000
| pounds at q years, will save mainte-
nance fodder for two years; or, in round
numbers, for two winters, $50 days, we
shall save q tons of hay, as we'll as two
| years pasturing. But again | find that
young animal will make more gain on
pound Of food than an older one, thus
making double gain. Moreover, an
animal when small, will make very
much more gain than an animal nearly
matured. The difference is so great az
to become of much Importance This
fact should lead us so to breed as to get
an animal that will come into shape to
command full market prices at a much
less weight than that named. Could
market demand be developed for 500.
pound calves, these could be furnished
at profit by the side of Texas steers.
For generation most of the stock of
New England has been kept for the di-
rect purpose of manure-making, and
they are yet its cheapest sources. We're
it not so, in comparatively short time
there would be but little stock in the
East. Yet in feeding, the prime OBJ
ject-the fact that our steers are simply
manure factories-is lost sight of. The
! Englishman's first question is: d" What
is the manure value of the food?" Then
in buying foods Il buy heavily because
| find it the cheapest means of obtain
ing plant food, and for another object |
will name further on 1 always con-
slider the amount of the elements OF
plant food contained in the proposed
purchases. | do not say that that shall
be the sole criterion of purchase, but it
must have determining recognition
1t not unfrequently happens that nj
trogenOus food ia nearly, or quite worth
its cost as manure. Intending here to
call attention only to prominent points
in stock management, that are settled
but not accepted generally in practice,
will forego details and simp y say that
III pfdCtiCt L Cdu give COrTODOTallVe evil
| dence from my records of the facts here
stated. .sl p.
Chemistry has blundered around
badly on the question of the nutritive
value of foods, as it has on other ques
tions in agriculture. But the stimulus
it has given to practical investigators,
pointing to the door; and as an aid to
them, will result in an immense saving
of food values. Pardon me for referring
to personal data agaiu; such data. how
ever, always bear more directly on the
point than what one has heard Of AS
the result Of three years careful weigh
iDgs of food for several sets of steers, /
am thoroughly convinced that an ex-
tremely important saving can be made
in feeding mixed rations, and that it is
not enough that these mixtures be in
discriminatory made. In general terms,
nitrogenous foods should be mixed with
carbonaccous: or bran, peas, cotton seed,
oil cake, blood, meat, and clover should
be given i'll connection with coarse
foods, like straw, corn fodder, and swale
hay. Happily it is the first-named foods
that are rich manure-makers, and, in
using them, we accomplish two impor-
tant purposes.-J w. Sanbmn IN Ruraj
Ne,c Yorker. Il no eN