Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-27
Agricultural.


Economic Feeding.
Broadly stated, there are FIVE cardinal points
wo are compelled to observe in tho east in
economic beef production. These are: good
steers, warm quarters. thoughtful food COM
binations arranged with some reference to ma
nuro value, and early maturity. Not without
much observation | affirm that our eastern
cattle are of too low a type. Experience
teaches me that, as distinguished from the
scrub, the good steer, well-bred grade, even
of the larger breeds, is better feeder of the
so-cRled coarse foods-straw, swale hay and
corn-f odder-than the poorer sorts so often
handled to consume the hard fare of the
farm. A beast of this sort will not only cat
better but thrive better on these foods than
the scrub. provided he has enough and this
enough" becomes more productive per pound
eaten. This enough" makes the difference
between the early matured and the later ma
tured steer The steer turned at two years,
weighing 1900 pounds, eats maintenance fod-
der for two years less than q steer weighing
1900 turned at four years. The maintenance
fodder for a 1000.pound steer is about Is lbs.
Of hay a day according to my tests. Thus
the good steer, find, is not only my most
accomplishing eater, but the earliest turned,
and hence the most economical.
Economy dictates that his winter quarters
must 10 Nhlul lub temperature buOulO ave-
rage, say, 45 degrees. In careful daily tests
by scales, thermometer, etc. found that 1
received about 100 per cent. interest one win
ter on the outlay for arranging better quar-
tiers than those of average New England barn
stables. We cannot afford to attempt to heat
space with hay, and lumber and paper are
cheaper than grain. The ration for the good
steer in good quarters should not be of cheap
foods alone, nor entirely of tho best foods;
the latter is not the most economical ration.
As practical feeder, l should not regard
hay and grain ration as a good ration where
the price Of hay is high. As I have before
stated in the Rural, know of no more eco
nomical ration, where hay is to enter into it
at all, than clover Called hay and straw mix
cd when moderate growth is desired-say one
pound day. When fattenng is desired the
addition of grain will make an effective food.
With fairly-bred grade short-horns / eau
make from 100 to 1900 pounds by easy
stages of growth, turning my products at full
market rates, as follows New milk for first
two or three weeks then skim milk, mid
dlings and corn meal. At little more age
cotton seed meal is substituted for middngs
The first winter clover and clover rowen, with
some corn fodder or straw, or both, are fed
with cotton. seed and corn meal The second
winter clover aud straw are often the only
food, or n ration of three pounds of cotton
seed meal and straw or corn-fodder, or both
alone, is fed As we raise much corn, often
half of this meal is fed When we purchase
meal my general practice is to buy cotton
seed meal, as it is very valuable for manure,
as well as especially valuable to supplement
straw for growing steers. The growth by this
system is not the rapid growth of high feed
ing, but having no pasture near home, this
| is adopted as an economical one. Ny expe-
10 hifv1 10,
| is not consistent with distant and ordinary
| pastures. When ordinary pastures are near
at hand, high winter feeding can be supple
mented by summer pasture-feeding with grain
to advantage.
By the system named September sales arc
made. This gives three summers growth
| Summer growth costs me but about one cent
q pound) for two winters feeding. The
weight named assures a good sale upon an
| economical growth. The expense l could
easily give, but it would be at local rates. If
the ration is entirely hay the calf will con
sumo three per cent. of its live weight daily,
and the yeorling y per cent. With urging,
each will eat more When grain is given,
pound in round numbers takes the place Of a
pound of hay, and insures q faster growth
| generally. When straw or clover is fed, oil
straw and grain, less is eaten. steer thai
will eat % pounds of hay will not use ovel
10 pounds of straw when accompanied with
three pounds of meal-or, generally, three
tifths as much. When corn fodder is given
taking into consideration what is wasted
nearly as many pounds have to be fed as Of
hay-not quite. Swale hay and two or three
pounds Of cotton-seed meal are often fed fol-
an entire winter, interchanged with straw o.
corn-fodder.- W. SaaJorR in Rural Ne1
| Yorker.
The above article contains facts of mucl
value to growers of live stock. 1t will wei
repay reading, and is worth preserving though
it contains one recommendation that SHOULD
be received with some caution. 1t may be
questioned whether it is advisable to begin t.
feed meal to calves at SO early an age as Prof
Sanborn appears to have done. They will
certainly be injured by it unless it is fed will
great caution, beginning with a very small
quantity, and increasing it gradually as the!
become accustomed to its use. We hav
stunted the growth of more than one calf b,
undertaking to stimulate its thrift by feeding
it corn meal. If the meal is cooked or mad
into porridge, it is generally believed it ma,
be fed to calves with more safety than raw
meal; but neighbor, noted for the excellence
of the calves he raised, used to give them
after they had been fed with milk, handful
of dry meal, beginning their meal ration
when they were about six weeks old
|