Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-04-17
FEEDING ANIMALS FOR PROFIT.

i Jaw VI tcSutuk ItquuSs huettt''us Aooe
that will produce the greatest quantity
of tiesh or milk at the least possible cost
Next In Importance TO obtaining u chesl
food containing large amount OF fesh
or milk forming ingredients Is to pre-
pare IL so as to secure perfect diges'
ton and appropriation Of Its nutrients
A food may be rich in all the element;
that nature requires to support the AMI
NAL economy, but unless the nourish-
meut Is extracted from IL It will be OF no
value TO the animal or It's owner except
for manure. Digestion Is the process by
| which the food after having been reduc-
ed by mas,ication TO considerable fine
| ness, and mixed with the saliva OF the
mouth, to facilitate swallowing, passes
iuto the first stomach OF the bovine, Is
acted upon by powerful solvent called
the gastric juice, subjected To grinding
process TO still further reduce Its psrti-
cles. the cosrser parts returned 10 the
mouth for reconsideration, TO be again
swallowed aud acted upon by the organs
Of the four stomschs and intestines, the
most nutritious portion, called chyle,
extracted, and absorbed by the lscteals
or vessels which nature has provided
for the purpose, and Is changed into
blood, and from blood into flesh.
This being the case, it will be readily
seen that one great aid TO digestion,
when grain Is fed, is TO have II ground,
and the finer the better. Professor San
born does not believe IL pays TO grind
grain for cattle, aud l sm aware that
many Western feeders have declared that
cattle will fstten just as well on whole
corn as on meal, and that with hogs TO
follow the steers TO eat the whole grain
that Is voided there is no loss whstever.
Eastern farmers, with smaller corntields
10 draw upon, and accustomed TO observ-
ing closely and practising economy, do
not lind this TO be the case. To feed
whole grsin TO cattle without waste
would require hungry hogs TO follow
the cattle, and hungry chickens 10 fol-
low the hogs.
A farmer when showing me his hogs
said he was feeding them whole buck
wheat, without soaking or cooking, and
thereby saved considerable labor and the
miller's toll. pointed him to their
dung, which contained many grains that
were entirely whole, and many more
that were merely cracked. "Oh, that's
nothing he said; '.they eat all the
whole grains over again" Every OBJ
serving feeder has noticed that when
hogs are ted all they want Of whole corn
their dung is full Of half chewed kernels
which, uuless eaten by the hens, or eaten
the second time BY themselves, Il wasted.
Hogs are so greedy naturally that they
do not properly mssticste whole grain,
aud as they do not have the power TO
raise aud rechew IL as cattle do, IL is Ut
terly impossible TO feed them whole grain
In any considerable quantities without
waste; and In nv opinion 10 force them
by hunger 10 eat IL the second time Il
not only improper, but absolutely
dangerous. To make hogs eat the void
ings OF cattle may not be quite so bad,
but IL is contrary 10 reason and the In
siiucts OF nature. No animals will eat
their own dung or that from another
species, II provided with sufficient food
that is clean and OF good quality.
The almost universal practice OF feed
Ing whole corn 10 cattle In the West,
and compelling hogs TO get their living
from the cattie's dung, no doubt supplies
a fruitful field for the propagation Of
hog cholera. Why should animals be
forced 20 wear out their teeth and tire
their jaws In grinding whole grain IN
order 10 save the mill.r's toll, when by
so doing they are sure 10 waste more
than a tenth because X is not tine enough
70 be digested?
Professor Stnborn does not believe in
cooking feed for cattle or hogs, unless it
be potatoes for hogs, and am Inclined
TO agree with him. For the human
stomach there Is no question that most
foods are more pslatsble ard digestible
when cooked, aud some excellent foods,
like potatoes and parsuips, are unshole-
some, IL not poisonous, when esten in
the raw state; In feet, nearly all foods,
except fruits and berries, need to be
cooked for mankind. But the case is
different with animals. As nature has
not provided them with the means for
cooking food, IL is reasonable 10 sup
pose that she has provided them with
organs OF digestion so powerful aud
perfect that they do not require IL. This
reasonable supposi,ion has been sup
ported, 10 not proved, by many expert
meuts. IL grain Is 10 DE fed To animals
without grinding. then believe IL
should be cooked-not for the purpose
OF making il more pslatable or nutritious,
but TO secure n better digestion by max
log IL softer, and obtaining more OF its
value. Soaking in water might answer
the purpose. il it could be soaked long
enough 10 soften without souring IL.
Judging from the number OF steam feed
ers that are constantly advertised, aud
the number OF great kettles and csul-
drous | have seen la the foundries in the
West, we must conclude there Is an im-
mense number Of practical farmers who
believe In and practice cooking feed for
cattle and hogs. My experience Is
favorable 10 boiling potatoes and turnips
for hogs. They will eat them greedily,
and with small quantity of corn meal
mixed with them thev furnish cheap
aud fatteniug food. On raw potatoes
they will nearly stsrve. Cattle, on the
contrary, prefer all kinds OF roots in the
raw state, and, according TO my ex-
perience, they are better for them raw.
venture 10 say that the same quantity
Of potatoes, turnips OF pumpkin and
meal that would fatten cattle success
fully when fed raw, would be too loosen
ing and produce disastrous results II
cooked.
To raise and fatten animals most
profitably they must be sheltered from
the cold storms and housed In warm,
well ventilated stables In the winter. Ii
kept warm, dry and comfortable, they
will grow and fstten faster on smaller
quantity of food. l feel quite certain of
this, for have tried both systems. The
merciful stockmsn Is paid for his mercy
10 dollsrs and cents, and also In the
pleasure he derives from witnessing the
enjoyment of his stock. The scriptures
make kindness to animals the test OF
righteousness 'sThe righteous man re-
gsrdeth the life OF his beast" The
cruelty of the Western ranchmen In
starving their unsheltered herds In the
winter is punished by the great loss OF
stock during the billiards. l am aware
that cattle are grown to good size and
fattened on the prairie farms of the
West, exposed to the fearful blasts Of
winter, without any shelter, but appre-
bend it Ia done at fearful cost of corn.