The Red Cloud chief., 1882-02-02
Cooking Food for animals.


The subject of cooking food for AMI,
mails i one which incitcs frequent IN.
guirirs and one to which we have nee.
r.sarily frequently referred. Like mos,
other questions it has two sides and
those who have had experience have
somewhat different opinions upon il,
some of them being very set on either
side. IL Is = matter. however, Of such
importance 10 swine breeders especial
Is n Ia make IL worthy IL profound de-
liberation. We have no doubt what
ever Of the general utility Of cooking
food for hogs. although II - not wholly
without disadvantages. When corn Is
cheap these disadvantages viii out
weigh the advantages. and "" should
feed the raw material: t-.t when corn j.
d"ar, II will be to the feeders interest
Ia cook the feed. A. We remember Ia
have remarked in these columns once
Dr twice. the effect If cooked food j.
not established by feeding 4 crest deal
If stun which i >ail To bo cooked but
J. not. Food that i simply warmed
through l. not cooked, but Il GOES under
that name. There NAV be- adI antay"s
even IN that, but We ar bot discussing
that subject. All that W. wish - -ay
upon II III this connection : that il i IN
no sense cooked, and consequently doe.
not aud cannot represent IN IL results
the results IF feeding cooked food.
To appreciate the utility of cooking
food. and to know what food 10 cook.
the process OF digestion mast be- under
stood. n least - far l. the "iiic" o.! the
stomach ! concerned. W. need only
max" the suggestion that the functions
nj that organ Will b. the more easily
performed if what i, taken into II j. rem
drr'd easily operated upon 10y The "a
tric Juice. II for instance a STONE i
taken into the stomach. or the pit Il \
cherry. or anything of that nature. the
gastric juice cannot effect it> dI>>ulU-
ton, and ii Will pc~S away ~ IL was
taken in. Whatever therefore i har.l
i difficult Ia dissolve. and IN" difficulty
j. just IN proportion I" In" hardness If
the material TO De- operated upon. The
hoe. il i true. uvcrcomc~ this difficulty.
by most thorough ma>ticlti"n. But
corn swallowed whole i a pretty hard
material. and more difficult of digestion
than even when the smooth hard SUI
face i broken by grinding. Corn meal
will digest much more readily than
whole corn. But all the time that J.
wasted If we NAV be- allowed Ia Use
the tcrm in digc~tin% whole corn j. in
Il n lost. The functions "f the
stomach being performed with the max
imum of difficulty. the work i in the
,..,,.. 4 - 80, L.. E, IL,
gan. and tn" system j. not being sup
piled "a rapidly with material for fat
making a. it might he; and besides thi>,
aS will easily Ice seen. IL will require
more food Ia effect the same results.
this last fact furnishing the reason for
cooking corr when the price of corn i
aigh.
The results Of experimental f~rc,in.
are greatly in favor of cooking. and NJ
though We have from time Ia time giScn
some of them, it will do no harm to
give others, or to repeat those already
wiycn in this place. The main object in
cooking corn. Is will be Inferred from
what we have already said, i To soften
it; and. therefore, what may hc SAID in
favor IF cooking would be- largely true.
AT least. of any process that would
soften the hard grain. We have soaked
corn in the ear for pigs, with the most
satisfactory results. and StcamImg would
answer Il like purpose. Ut seasons when
hogs can have free Gee to gra>>. soak
im@ the corn will certainly DO all that
cnokin" it will do. Winter is the time
for cooking, If al all.
But let Us give the results of expert
mcntS. Two Chester whites were fed
follows. they bcin~ Of the same litter
aud No. | weighing 292 pounds aud No.
, weighing $50 pounds. No. | WAS fed
seventeen DAYS on cooked unground
corn. She consumed two bushels and
twcnty-onc quarts and gained thirty->iy
pounds. No. = was fed for the same
Of time on whole corn raw and
gained thirty pounds upon three bush
and thirteen quarts. We believe I
that that would be- a very fair rcprcScn-
tation If tn" result of the tw" systems.
In another experiment with four pie
II litter and four of another. the
fed on raw corr and the other four
fcd on cooked corn. the raw-corn hogs
ten pounds 10 the bushcl. AMI
the cookcd-corn hogs fifteen To the
bu>hcl.
Perhaps it is unnecessary To give fur
thcr details, rs those given very fairly
represent the advantages If cooked
feed. II may be that the results stated
cannot always be obtained: probably
not. l;ut the odds are considerably in
IF cooking. Yet the conditions
he taken into consideration. In
the great Cnrn:growinr districts when
is cheap. we should not, a al
intimatcd. cook food for swine.
As in all other matters of life the iudg.
Incnt be exercised. and above all thing.
[ must not be expected that a food.
cooker will enable Us Ia make 4 fortune
IN one hog or a hundred hogs. That
cooking * affirmed To be a good thing
locS not mean that it is a bonanza
" stern EHrai.