Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-10-11
Farm and Home.
Fattening Cattle.

The american Cultirator gives the fol-
lowing excellent directions for this process;
If it be the fall of the wear it will begin
with the wastes Of the farm. The pumpkins,
squashes, small potatoes, turnips and even
apples if given in small quantities. may be
utilized in this way to good advantage. not
only because they are wastes Of little value
otherwise, but also because by loosenins the
bowels and quickening the secretions, they
help to bring the cattle into thrifty condi-
ton. If such food does not fatten it is the
best preparation for a course of fattening
food. 4 single week of such food, with
good hay, will make the animal look better
and handle better, though il NAV not have
gained a pound in weight. The giving Of
meal should begin from the first, and per
haps a good rule would be to use about
thirty pounds of hay, fifty pounds of roots.
and five quarts or ten pounds Of meal for
every thousand pounds Of live weight.
The proportion of the amount Of food re-
quired to the live weight Of animals is not
invariable. the coarse, unthrifty, paunchy
will require more TO sustain life than such
one as described above would require to
keep il fatrening rapidly. Here the eye of
the feeder needs to be trained again. and it
needs to be on the alert to detect an, symp-
toms of being overfed or Of capacity to
take more, and after a while the grain rations
can be increased and the rations Of hay re-
duced accordingly. the object in view all the
time icing To convert much ha, and grain
into beef can protitably be done. To
keep he c.t,le thriving il is important that
they be kept comfortable and quiet. They
will do better if kept in their stalls most Of
the time, if they have good beds, and the
stables are well ventilated 50 as to furnish
them pure air and at the right temperature
neither too warm in summer nor too cold
in winter. though they will do better in
place comfortably cold. They should have
pure water twice day, though while eating
the root, they will require but little, and
it will be better TO feed the roots before Of
fering the water in order 10 induce them to
get along with as little water as possible.
Some feeders give no water while fattsning
on roots and pumpkins, bat this seems cruel,
and il is doubtful if the animals thrive as
well as if allowed water. 1t is not well 10
give salt while fattening, unless with view
of creating thirst, which they will quench
by eating more roots, or it may sometimes
be added to the meal if they appear to have
got little of their feed by having been
fed too literally. But when they have been
overfed the best remedy is a total withdraw
ing Of the grain ration for one or two meals,
and perhaps a little more exercise in the
open air.
The manner of feeding is of equal impor-
lance. Adopt regular hours of giving food
and do not vary from them, excepting that
in the fall and winter the morning meal may
be given at a later hour and the evening
meal earlier the days grow shorter. while
as the days grow longer the hours for morn
ing and evening feeding may be made far
Their from the MONDAY meal Avoid as
much as possible disturbing fattening ami
mails after they have lain down at night.
The practice of feeding round the last thing
before going to bed is bad one, for if the
cattle have had reasonable allowance at
the usual supper hour they do not need to
be called up to eat again any more than the
farmer himself needs to after he as..retired
for the night. Going to the barn to see
that all is right there is well enough if the
cattle are used TO such visits and do not as
sociate them with the idea of being called up
to eat or being driven up for any other pur-
nose.n