The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-01-01
FOOD FOR STOCK.

AT one time persons VINO kept SCOcK
paid little attention to the kind of food
that was furnished it. They sought to
raise as many animals as possible, and
gave preference to the kind of stock that
could be produced with the least trouble
and expense. During the months that
the food was out of the ground cattle
and sheep were expected to get their
living in pastures. They were turned
out early in the spring and taken up
late in the fall. 1t was not expected
that they would gain in weight or con-
dition between the months of October
and April. If the feed in the pastures
was good and they were not over
stocked the grazing animals were ex-
pected to gain from April to October.
If, however, there was a protracted
drought it was presumed that they
would simply ''hold their own, - if they
did not fall off in condition. Many
farmers appeared to think that the
object of feeding animals was to sus-
tain life. Cattle were kept year after
year without having their weight or
market value increased. The sub
iect of early maturity received
little or no attention. Grazing ami
mails were restricted to grass in the
summer and to hay in the winter.
They were generally allowed straw and
corn fodder, not with view of afford
ING change of diet, but because it was
found desirable to get these articles out
of the way AS rule, no grain that
was fit for the market was fed to cattle
and sheep. Some farmers raised roots
for animals with a view of keeping a
large number. In the Southern States
grazing animals were expected ''to pick
up" most of their living during the en-
tire year. Even hogs were driven into
the forests with view of having them
subsist on green vegetables, Yermin,
and mast Very little attention was
paid to providing suitable food for
other farm animals than cows that were
giving milk and horses and mules that
were kept constantly at work. Giving
grain and other harvested food to mich
cows when the feed in pastures was
short in the summer was almost I'M
known. They were expected to cease
lures was deficient.
Recently a great change has oc-
Cured in the manner of supplying food
to farm animals Dairy farmers no
longer expect to have the amount of
milk given by cows governed by the
supply of feed in the pastures. They
do not depend ON grass alone to fur
nish food during the summer season.
They raise several forage crops that
mature at different times. They have
them in readiness in case the pastures
do not afford much grass. They give
grain to COWS that are MIXED as regu-
larly as they do horses that are at
work. They by these means render
the production of milk certainty. In
telligent farmers no longer postpone
the liberal feeding of animals intended
for meat till within a few months of the
time when they are to be slaughtered.
1t has been found more economical to
keep them constantly in good condi-
ton as regards flesh than to allow them
to become very poor, and then to at
tempt to cover a moving skeleton with
flesh and fat. Farmers have discov-
cred the advantages of early maturity.
They have found out that liberal feed
ing will produce as heavy a steer at
three years of age as scant feeding does
at six years. They want quick returns.
All are convinced that young animals
gain in weight much faster than old
ones, and that their meat is preferable.
Some feeders now object to the
name estate cattle" They state
that the animals they keep
are at all times being prepared for the
market Their fattening process is not
confined to few weeks before slaugh-
tering. The most successful pork-raiS-
ers now feed their hogs literally during
all stages of their growth. They may
not allow them to become very fat dur
ing hot weather, but they supply them
literally with the kind of food that will
produce flesh. Even sheep-raisers who
have no other object than the produc-
ton of wool have come to the cOnclu-
sion that liberal feeding is economical,
They have noticed that the quality as
well as the amount of wool depends
chiefly on the kind and amount of food
the sheep receive. The microscope has
shown to many OF them the diminished
size of fibers of wool that grew during
protracted drought or a severe storm
when sufficient and suitable food was
not provided.
All keepers of stock have at last been
convinced of the ACCESSIBILITY of liberal
feeding. Many are giving their atten-
ton to the matter of making food more
agreeable to the taste of animals, More
care is bestowed on the preservation
and storage of hay. A greater variety
of grasses and clovers are sown in
pastures, so as to furnish a change OF
food during the season when it is the
most abundant. Many feeders furnish
meal, millstufs, and other dry food to
their animals during the summer, for
the reason that they afford an agree
able change when green grass is the
| principal food, The silo has been in
troduced in many places, not so much
in the belief that silage is greatly pref
cradle to hay as a general food for ami
mails during cold weather, as that a
succulent food is wanted for change
when they are kept for the most part
on dry hay, straw and meal. Those
who claim no superiority for silage
over dry fodder believe that it is very