Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-20
Agricultural,
Economyin Feeding.

good many cattle owners are learning
this winter that there are more economical
ways Of keeping cattle than to feed them all
the good English hay they will eat three times
q day, or to keep them entirely on poor, coarse
fodder. Farmers in eastern Massaohusetts,in
the vicinity Of large city markets. where good
hay seldom sells much below $50 per ton,
long since learned that the cheaper fodder,
given in connection with grain, make a much
more economical ration for cattle of all kinds
than clear English hay. Owing to the severe
drought in certain sections Of Vermont and
New Hampshire during the past summer, the
farmers find themselves compelled TO adopt
grain feeding in part to help them through
the winter. One farmer reports hay and corn
meal selling at the same price in his town,
and advises selling part of the hay and u.s.
ing the proceeds for buying meal, which is
excellent advice where the cost of making the
exchange is not too great Grain contains a
larger percentage Of nutritive material than
hay, and when the prices are about the same
it will always pay TO feed grain quite liberal
". The peculiar condition of the food mar
kets in those sections where hay is usually
low in price, is also giving farmers a chance
to feed cheap, coarse fodder to much better
advantage than usual, for while good hay,
such as would be in demand in cities for feed
ing horses, is worth a cent pound, oat straw,
barley hlThW anu COEu lOuutI Luhl 10 bOukhb
for half that price or less, and if these be fed
in connection with a suitable amount of corn
meal, wheat middings, or cotton seed meal,
or a mixture of the three, they will together
keep the cattle in quite as good condition as
would the more costly English hay. Even
wheat straw, or rye straw, which are usually
regarded as almost worthless for feeding cat
tie and may be, il fed alone, can be made
valuable helps to the farmer who is short of
good hay, by feeding them in connection with
moderate quantities Of grain. Some farmers
will doubtless say the more grain the better,
or that the grain will contain all the nutri-
ment the cattle will get from such food, but
this is a mistake for these coarse folders do
contain digestible material that is of value,
and Just what is needed to make it safe to
feed grain freely.
Cattle that have been accustomed TO a good
hay diet may not at first take readily to these
coarse folders, but they will learn to eat
them after a little while. Cutting and wet
ting in hot water, and then sprinkling with
meal will sometimes pay, where feeders have
plenty Of time, but cattle will learn to eat all
these coarse folders, and as much as they
need if they are judiciously fed No animal
should be given more food at time than it
will eat with an appetite. We have had cat
tie seriously injured by over feeding, nor are
we alone in the experience. We believe that
feeding but twice day is a very good system
for winter Cattle, unlike horses, have large
stomachs and can stow away large amount
of food to be re masticated at leisure, and
this re- mastication is necessary to perfect di-
gestion. II cattle are fed too often there is
danger of crowding them with food that will
not be completely digested. 1t has been our
experience that if cattle are fed what they
need morning and night in winter, the usual
noon meal may be omitted without injury to
the cattle, and with just SO much saved to
the feeder.-N b. Farmer.
We believe that farmers generally feed their
cattle in winter at least three times day. If
twice a day is as we'll or better, then two saw
ings can be made-s saving of time and a
saving of fodder. A neighbor and a success
full farmer, whose cattle always look WELL
feeds but twice a day. He has practiced
this method of feeding for seven years, and
is satisfied that his cattle do as well, il not
better than when he fed more frequently.
On becoming accustomed to being fed only
at night and in the morning, they remain qui.
ct when any one enters the barn at any other
time. II they are lying down it takes con-
siderable urging to make them get up. 1t is
evident that less food will suffice to sustain
an animal that passes the day in quiet, than
would be required for one that is frequently
disturbed Our neighbor thinks that his cat
tie consume less when fed only twice day
by nearly the amount of the noon foddering
which is omitted.