Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-15
Fattening Cattle.

This is subject of great interest
to the American farmer at the present
time. Since Europe has opened up
market for all our surplus first
quality beef, it stands us in hand to
study the question of economical
feeding; for it must become the life
blood of our agriculture. The true
system of growing the best beef
begins with the calf and continues till
the animal is ripe for market. But
we must consider the best mode of
fattening cattle that are ready for the
last stage of feeding steers two and
a half TO three and a half years old.
The most difficult problem TO solve in
fattening pertains to those cattle that
have been raised on the old plan of
slow growth. Their digestive capac-
ity is small, comparatively, and it is
exceedingly difficult to start the fat
tening process in n satisfactory man.
ner. Having grown so slowly, they
cannot, at once, assimilate food
enough to make respectable increase
in weight. 1t must take a longer
fattening period than with thrifty
steers that have grown rapidly. The
feeder must take this into account
when he buys this kind of cattle TO
fatten. / have thoroughly tried the
experiment, and find that IL requires
from two to four monts to put such
steers into thriving condition. The
ration best adapted to start thrift in
this class of steers must contain a
portion of flax-seed or linseed oil
meal. Flaxseed ground with other
grain, as mentioned last week, or
oil-meal, has n most decided effect
upon the secretory system-slicking
the hair, loosening the skin, seeming
TO lubricate the whole animal machin.
cry, and putting it in condition to
assimilate other food. Take these
steers of 1000 pounds-weight, and
the following ration will have the
best effect: One part of. haxseed
ground with sixteen parts of corn
six pounds of this mixture, four
pounds of bran or middlings, with Is
pounds of good hay, or ten pounds
of hay, and ten pounds of straw; or
three pounds or lnseed oil-meal, six
pounds Of corn-meal and four pounds
of middlings with hay or hay and
straw; continue this for 30 or 40
days. Then increase the corn-meal
to eight pounds, the other parts re-
naming the same for 30 days-again
increase the corn-meal to ten pounds,
oil-meal, middlings and hay as befona,
and continue this as long as it seems
to be full ration, say for 80 or 40
days. Now increase the corn-meal to
twelve pounds, two pounds of bran,
oil-meal rs before, and continue this
until ready for market.
This has proved very successful
ration with the writer. and it will
transform these stunted cattle, IL any,
thing will, into nicely rounded beeyes.
But such cattle are not profitable to
feed unless purchased very low. OF
course, this ration may be greatly
modified To suit circumstances-corn
and oats ground together may be fed
eight pounds of the mixture TO begin
with, and increased gradually as the
beasts can bear it; or, corn meal and
bran in equal weights, increasing as
before; or, peas and corn ground to-
gether, starting with six pounds and
increasing with one pint of cheap
molasses dissolved in a gallon of
water and used to wet the hay. This
will give appetite, and the molasses
is laxative. Corn fed alone 10 such
steers creates a feyerish and consti-
pated state of the system, and the
skin doesno loosen.
For thrifty, we'll grown cattle. the
following ration will succeed :-one
pint of oil-meal, 10 pounds of corn.
meal, four pounds of bran with hay
and straw, and it will, under favor
able circumstances, produce gain of
y to three pounds per day. West
ern cattle are generally fed on corn
and corn fodder almost wholly. in
winter. The Germans would call
this bad ration but these cattle
have been well nourished on grass
during the summer and come to the
corn ration In very thrifty condi-
tion they thus keep their health
better and generally fatten well on
go pounds of corn and the stalks.