Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-07-19
Economy in Feeding Farm Stock.
"A paper read at meetings OF the Board OF Agricu
ture by Henry Lane of Cornwall member Of Il
Concluded from lst page.)


BOardl
Concluded from lst page)
the dry fodder the digestibilitv of III
protein decreased per cent; If it be 1.
the weight the digestibiliiy decreases l
per cent; 10 decreases it Is per cent; 1.
decreases il nearly 20 per cent. In fodde
containing large quantities Of protein th
depressing effect is not as great as /
fodder poor in this. Now what is th
practical knowledge that we gain fror
the result of these experiments. First
that corn when fed should be in connectio
with clover or good meadow hay, not wit
straw or poor hay. When straw or boo
hay is fed peas, beans, linseed or cotto
seed meal should be fed in connection
Roots should never be fed with boo
fodder. The poor fodder raised on th
farm can be made available by feedin!
with concentrated foods rich in protein.
Economy and utility in having all tn,
coarse fodder consumed on the farm; thi
is matter of great Importance to on
farmers. 1t should induce them to econo
mize more carefully such food, not onl,
by feeding 1t all, but feeding in the RICH
combination. Farmers find it difficult [,
induce their animals to eat sufficiency O
the carbohydrates In their poor fodder
and more difficult in some poor fodder
than others; for instance, oat straw ma,
analyze as rich in carbohydrates as SOM
poor hay, still our animals will general,
eat more of the poor hay on account of II!
being more palatable. 1t requires NOR,
skill and better judgment in feeding pool
fodder than it does in feeding good. w,
must avoid too bulky a fodder. The
amount of fodder which our animals car
consume is limited, and if the nutritivt
ratio be very wide the amount of protein
will not be sufficient for production, ant
the fodder would not be palatable, and
will not be eaten sufficient for even main.
tenance. Animals relish most foods lict
in protein, when such foods are added and
mixed with coarse fodder which is unpal.
atable when fed alone; it not only makes
the whole palatable, but narrows the
nutritive ratio, 80 that the ration will
neither be too bulky or too concentrated
For instance, mix one pound of cotton.
seed meal with four pounds of straw; this
mixture will be eaten with n relish and
will contain sufficient protein for produc.
ton. The butts and large stalks of corn
fodder may contain as much dieestible
nutrients as poor hay, still one ANNA
will not eat them unless starved to it.
because they do not relish them. If corn
fodder, by being preserved in sio is
made more profitable, it is an argument.
and perhaps the best argument, in favor
of the silo. No nutrient is added to corn
fodder by being preserved in silo, nor is
it better digested or better assimilated,
but it is, as l understand, eaten with a
relish, and if concentrated food rich in
protein is added it makes a profitable feed
for production.
SHEEP.
Sheep require relatively more food than
cattle, that is 1000 pounds of sheen reouire
more food than 1000 pounds of cattle.
This is probably on account of moro sur
face to lose heat by radiation, but the
difference is less than it otherwise would
be on account of the wool which binders
the radiation of heat. Small animals of
any breed require more food in proportion
to their weight than large ones because
they expose relatively more surface to
radiation, consequently lose heat more
rapidly. just as two small balls will cool
faster than one large one of equal weight.
A maintenance ration for full grown
mutton sheep, per 1000 pounds, is 26
pounds OF average hay; for the Merino of
to-day nearly or quite 80 pounds. Food
has an influence upon the production of
wool, but only within certain limits. The
best and most abundant feeding is incapa
Die of altering short wooded sheep to
l long wooled one, thin place to a thick
place, or coarse wool to fine wool. This
can be accomplished, if at all, only bv
continual breeding with these ends in
view, aided by intelligent feeding. Full
grown sheep do not yield noticeably more
wool under the influence of fatteninp
odder than on one which will keep them
n good condition without causing any
essential increase of their live weight.
several experiments made in Wande on
Negrette sheep on maintenance ration
Produced just the same amount of wool
hat fattening ration produced. Another
Experiment was made with lambs. A very
ioh fattening ration was fed lambs for
Month; their increase live weight was
rom 30 pounds to 10l pounds. Another
81 was fed exclusively on good hay, and
heir increase in the same time was from
5 pounds to 70 pounds, while the weight
unwashed wool was increased 81 Der
emit on the first lot; the quantity of pure
'ool obtained in both cases was identical.
he most wool seems to be produced
hen the animals are thoroughly well fed,
ut not fattened. If tho daily ration be
lcreased beyond what is necessary for
lis no effect is produced on the growth of
DOL. but if tho ration fall much below
lis the amount of wool will also fall to a
'rtaln extent. 1t requires for fattening
leep narrower ration than for cattle, as
arrow as IA, 0 or Ia, s. 1t is important
give liberal supply of protein for
ittening sheep. For fatteniny lambs |
Ilnk good mixture to be fed, in connec-
on with clover hay, is 2 pounds of corn,
pound each of peas and bran This is
ny ration when have the peas. The
eep feeders in Walpole, N. III feed 5
FUNDS corn. pounds cottonseed meal.
'und wheat mfddlings. They are yery
ccessful feeders. To show that small
limals of breed require more food than
rye ones for the same production. | will
We the result of feeding lambs one
inter. The result of fcdcing several
inters is almost identical with this one.
ne winter of 1876 and III had three
'cks of mutton lambs. Their average
eight December 5 was SO pounds, CT
'unds and 20 pounds. These hocks were
d by weight the same amount and kind
grain per head, and there was scarcely
difference in the amount oil
y each flock consumed. although the
y was not weighed. March 81 these
cks averaged rs pounds, SO pounds and
pounds; average gain in 1l6 days-lst !;
ok, 20 pounds; I'd flock, q pounds; 81
ok, 2G pounds. The first lot to make
% pounds would take III lambs, I'd lot.
/; 3d lot. IA 81. The LIST lot would
nsume 1925 pounds. besides the hay :
len. TO gain 3i5 pounds; the 81 lot, I
" pounds to gain 376 pounds; the Sd I
ll2S pounds to gain 372 pounds.
CATTLE.
A maintenance ration for 1000 lbs. of {
tile, when at rest. is about q lbs, of 4
'dium quality hay. Growing animals C
COWS giving milk require more. Youno b
tile require about the same feeding ratio
1t COWS do when In milk. Oxen, pro. Il
cling labor, need a wider ratio. A large h
mber of German experiments prove C
It the best proportion of musclc. form;nc, O