The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-06-04
Feeding and Care Of Animals.

Those who have never given the SUBJ
ject any attention, have but little con-
ception of the enormous waste caused
by injudicious feeding and improper
care OF animals; yet the most careless
observers well know that there are some
men who always drive poor horses, milk
poor cows, and never have a good sized
fat hog; this is usually attributed to
poor food given in small quantities; but
observation convinces US that while in
some cases this is the cause, in very
large proportion of cases it is caused by
injudicious feeding and improper man.
agement. Mr.. A. will feed out ton of
hay and make it last third longer than
Mr.. B., and yet his cattle will improve
in condition, while the cattle fed by Mr..
b. will grow poorer every day. There
are men who will feed horse eight
quarts of corn-meal every day, and give
him as much good hay as he will eat,
and yet will not own the horse three
months before every rib in him can be
counted at q distance of several rods.
To feed the animals on the farm so that
the food given will do the most good, is
business that is thoroughly understood
by very few. Far too many who have the
care of farm stock do not stop to con-
slider that an animal that is at work
should have different food from one that
is giving milk, or one that is being
fatted; but the time is coming when
animals will be fed with the food that is
richest in the elements necessary to pro-
duce the desired results; on this point
we have yet much to learn; to establish
anything very positive it requires many
carefully tried experiments, which should
be conducted under the direction of
some organized body.
If we look among the intelligent and
successful farmers of to-day we shall
find that they have left the old way of
feeding as practiced by their fathers,
and adopted one that saves time and
food, and at the same time keep their
cattle in better condition; instead Of
feeding five times a day it is now be-
lieved by the most intelligent that three
times is enough, and some contend that
hay should be fed only twice. There
are yet many farmers who cling to the
ways of their fathers, not only in feed
ing cattle but in all of their operations
on the farm; they put before their cat
tie late cut hay in quantities that shows
a wasteful extravaganza the cattle, after
picking it over and breathing on it, leave
large portion which they will never
eat; this finds its way to the manure
heap. Cattle fed in this way never look
well, yet it costs much more to keep
them than if kept in good condition by
giving them only what food they will
eat up clean, and feeding them at in
tervals so far apart as to give them time
to properly digest what they have eaten.
The greatest care should always be
taken not to cloy the appetite by over
feeding; for to over-feed an animal, es-
pecially pig, Injuries it for long time.
The care and the treatment of animals
has much to do with their condition. A
cold barn, q harsh voice and cruel treat.
ment, often keeps animals in poor con-
dition, even when well fed. While a
barn should always be kept warm
in the winter, it should be well lighted
and ventilated, the cattle should be kept
dry and clean. A daily carding is said
to be equal to quart of corn, the truth
of which we can not vouch for, but we
are satisfied that animals kept well
carded do much better than those that
are not. While the modern barn is
warmer, and better in almost every
respect to the barn of half century ago,
in one respect it has not been improved /;
that is by having manure cellar under
it. For many reasons this rs not desira-
BILE; among them may be mentioned,
first, the air in the barn is not kept as
sweet; second, if the manure is to be
worked over by swine, as is the usual
practice, it is an unhealthy place to keep
them third, a cellar is very unhandy
place to get manure out; fourth, the
barn cellar is wanted for the storing of
roots and fruit; but the fruit should be
kept in separate apartment. Manure
should be kept in shed built on the
side of the barn where the cattle are
kept, and four to six feet lower. The
shed should have large doors at each
end, with the ground SO graded that
when the manure is removed the cart
can pass in at one end and out at the
other. In this shed the swine will find
comfortable and healthy place, and
they can be looked after and fed to much
better advantage than in the cellar. No
animal kept on the farm feels good treat
ment quicker than the hog and success
in producing pork is rarely or ever at.
tanned except by those who understand
the Importance of giving their swine
good healthy quarters and feeding with
great care and regularity.
In providing for the various wants OF
animals, the importance of providing a
sufficient quantity of good water should
not be overlooked, either in winter or
summer. How often cattle, in hot, dry
weather, are compelled to drink water
thickened with mud and other material
still more undesirable and unhealthy
and how often in the winter are they
compelled to travel in the cold long dis
tances to drink water at the freezing
point! The farmer who takes good care
of his cattle will provide good, pure
water both winter and summer, and will
not compel them, in zero weather, tc
drink water at the freezing point while
standing in the open air exposed to the
cold winter blast. - Massachusetts
PloughnsGe.
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