The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-08-11
FOOD OF FARM STOCK.

The farmer must always bear Ill
mind that the kind Of food, as well
IS it's condition when fed out, ex-
crcises wonderful influence upon
ne health and general welfare Of
arm stock. The season in which
20 give this matter special attention
IS during the summer, while the
various plants cultivated for the
:ood of animals are growing or be-
;ng gathered for future use. The
most nutritious food is not always
he best under all circumstances
md conditions, but the farmer
should aim to produce a variety, so
hat his animals may have change
occasionally and at all seasons OF the
ear, as this is usually conducive to
rood health, Food in it's green
tate is certainly more natural than
ghen dried, as in hay, grain, and
straw : but in cold climates we are
compelled to preserve food plants
N what may be termed an unnatural
condition, and by artificial means,
ior the use of stock during the win
Ter, when they are unable 10 pro-
cure it for themselves. The far
zner should, therefore, endeavor to
secure the food for his stock in as
good condition as possible, and IN
such variety that a change from
summer to winter feed shall not
grove deleterious to the health and
comfort of his animals.
To take stock from the pasture
where they have been feeding for
months upon green, succulent her
oage, and then confne them in the
stable or yard, and give them moth
ing better than dry hay, cornstalRs
or straw, is too great a change, and
it should be lessened or moderated
by feeding some kind OF soft food
for a few weeks along with the dry
in order that the digestive organs
may not be impaired by the change.
IF the farmer cannot supply his
stock with roots for green feed, he
can at least give them the softest
and best hay, or even steam or
moisture it before feeding. But if
he thinks Of it in time, he can have,
if he viii take the trouble to raise
them, quantity of turnips, beets,
carrots, or similar roots ready for
use at the proper time, and, in fact,
he should have these roots Oh hand
all winter, and give his stock an oc-
casional feed of them, if only as
medicine or health preservative. If
those who keep stock would think
much Of the health and comfort Of
their animals as they do Of their
own health and comfort, we should
not hear so much of diseases among
animals, especially during the win
ter and early spring months.
Animals that are well fed with
nutritious and easily-digested food
and then sheltered from cold storms
are generally in condition to resist
diseases, and it may be safely as
serted that se7enty-fve per cent. Of
all losses OF farm stock is the direct
result Of neglect or starvation. It
is very hard to make farmer be-
ie7e that his animals are suffering
for food while he is giving them an
abundance of what he thinks is
good enough; still, if the food is
not adapted to their needs, they
may not only suffer inconvenience,
but in some instances actually
starve when surrounded by plen-
tifl supply OF food, such as it is.
Then, again, an animal may
thrive upon a kind Of food while
young and his digestive organs are
healthy and -unimpaired, and yet
starve upon thesame when old or in
Ill health. We have frequently heard
farmers remark that the old horse
or COW ''did not do as well as they
used to, although they were get
ting the same feed they always
had," and this was just the reason
the animals did not thrive they
needed better and more easily d.
gested food than had been fed to
them in their Younger days. In
some of our Western and Southern
States whole dry corn is the only
things fed to mules and horses, and
their owners think it good enough;
out while we are willing TO admit
that these animals may thrive for
few years upon such food, they are
lar more likely to fail or give out
early than animals fed upon oats or
the sane kind of corn ground and