The Portland daily press., 1892-02-09
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
r,sbt ON tho Subject of Cooking and
Moistening Feed.

TIpht THO SOohlDE ana
Moistening Feed.
T. f. F.: II am using feed mill
which grinds up corn, husk, cob and all.
making the grains about the size of
hominy. Is it advisable to moisten the
feed or is it just as well to feed it dry to
the stock?
There are two schools of feeders, from
each of which different opinion would
be given on this question. Some sue
coed admirably in the use of slops in the
fattening process. | think it probable
that somewhat the best results. especial
" in fineness Of finish. may be attained
bv starting the fattening process with
moist feeds and gradually disseminating
their use BY changing to more solid and
dry feeds. Very few feeders are situ-
ated so as to manage the wet feeding
process in d systematic, economical man
ner and taking this into consideration,
together with the extra cost for prepara-
ton of food in this manner, believe
that most feeders had better work along
the dry process line. 1t is very certain
that such feed as is described by our
correspondent can produce an animal
finished in very satisfactory manner,
and do not believe it will pay for one
to adopt the other system, in the far west
at least. TO merely moisten the ground
feed will have little or no effect. The
animal can do it cheaper and just as sat-
isfactorily by going to the drinking
trough after he has swallowed the dry
grain. Besides, think the steer will
like the dry feed better than when some
water has been poured over it.
| would not think of cooking such
feed, believing that there is no evidence
at hand to show that even the fuel would
be paid for by such process. If pos
sible use two or three pounds of oil meal
day, which will have most excellent
corrective effect besides affording large
amount of nutriment.
W. H. H.: II am feeding some steers
that weighed 1,o40 pounds from grass
three months ago. | have fed whole
corn three months and expect them to
weigh 1900 pounds Jan. 1. Now can
put on 200 pounds of flesh in two months
by grinding the corn and mixing it with
cut fodder or hay and bran or oil cake:
Brans cost twelve dollars, oil cake twen-
ty-two dollars per ton."
If the steers have been fed whole corn
for three months | doubt if 200 pounds
additional flesh can be put on in sixty
days. If the animals have been gaining
rapidly this feeder will find Q or 81
pounds day very good gain for the
last two months. OF course there will
be no profit in further feeding from the
gain made of itself, the advantage be-
ing in the increase in the market value
of the whole carcass. The change from
whole corn to cornmeal should be made
gradually and in such manner as to in
no way reduce the quantity of grain con-
sumed. Do not attempt to mix it with
cut corn fodder, hay or any coarse feed
at this time, for do not think the ami
mails will take kindly to such mixture
after having been three months on whole
corn. Keep the coarse folders in a rack
by themselves. Mix oil meal or bran or
both with the meal. AT the prices named
for bran and oil meal should use some
of both, being governed largely by the
choiceof the steers themselves. A good
ration for a l 200 pound steer would be
two pounds of bran with three or four
of oil meal and from ten to twelve of
cornmeal Professor Henry in Breed
er's Gazette.