The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-08-22


and more Of the ration is digested or
rendered available for body nutrition.
Roots. cut fodder, cut hay, little
grain mixed and placed in clean man.
gers. render rations palatable for cat.
| tie. The secret of the success attend
| ing many cattle feeder has been due
to his efforts in placing the food be-
fore his animals in an appetizing
manner. Clean managers, clean
troughs, ETC., have much to do with
the palatibility Of a ration.
Quantity Of Ration.-There is moth
ing very definite known regarding the
influence Of the quantity Of ration
upon its digestibility. Some expert.
ments have gone to show that IN
creasing a ration decreases its diges-
tibility. 1t seems reasonable that d
medium ration would be more highly
digested than a very large one, and
yet it will not pay the feeder to stint
his animal for the sake of getting the
last trace of nutrient digested.
Effect of Drying Fodders-Many
careful Investigations have been con-
Quoted to ascertain the effect of dry
ing folders upon their digestibility
1t is believed that so far as the dry
ing is concerned, the digestibility is
not interfered with, but sometimes in
drying lamentations take place and
decrease the digestibility of the fod-
der. Also, in the process of drying
many of the finer portions of the
plants are lost, and those finer por-
tons being highly digestible, the per
centage Of digestibility is lessened.
We have seen this in actual practice
in drying clover, timothy, corn fodder
and alfalfa, when the leaves drop off
and remain on the field.
The Influence of the Conditions and
Methods of Preserving Fodders.-In
the making of hay oftentimes its d.
gestibility is very materially lessened.
If, during the process, it is subjected
to bleaching rains and lamentations,
the soluble sugars undergo losses and
changes which decrease the value of
the fodder. Corn folders cured In the
field sustain similar losses, due to
bleaching and fermentation in proper
ton to the amount Of undue influen-
ces to which they have been exposed.
Corn cured in the field was less d.
gestible than the same corn cured in
the silo. The greater loss to the field
cured was no doubt due to the bleach
ing and fermentation and consequent
soluble carbohydrates and proteids.
Influence of the Stage of Growth of
the Neutrality-suspicious. go to show
that matured timothy and other mea-
dow grasses contain a larger percent
age Of gums and fibre than do the
less mature plants so that to secure
the best results from these plants
would be to cut them before they are
mature. Corn has shown the oppo-
site results. 1t is better to cut corn
fodder when the corn has glazed, as
then we have stored in the grain a
maximum Of starch which is totally
digested by the animals.
Methods of Preparing Foods.-Care-
full investigations by both Germans
and Americans go to show that the
wetting, steaming, cooking, soaking
and fermenting Of foodstuffs for farm
animals decrease ratherthan increase
their digestibility. Proteids especial
ly are decreased In digestibility. Po-
tatoes may be cooked for pigs, and 1t
might be profitable to cook foods In
such cases where cooking would in
duce animals to eat that which would
otherwise be wasted. ..
Influence of Grinding--It has been
shown that with horses, grinding
grains such as corn and oats, has in
creased their digestibility by nearly
one-tenth. With ruminants, such as
sheep and cattle, where we have
more perfect mastication, there is no
appreciate difference manifested. AS
to whether we should grind grain
will depend largely upon the cost of
getting the work done.
Common Salt.-Many feeders have
a common belief that salt increases
the digestibility Of ration, but in
vestigators have shown that this is
not the case. II salt does anything,
1t dlminishes the proportion Of diges-
tible nutrients.
Influence of Frequency of Feeding
and Watering Animals.-It is beliey-
ed by those who have Investigated
this question as well as by many
practical feeders, that the complete
ness of the digestion of a ration is
little affected by the frequency Of
feeding and watering.
Long Storage of Tfay.--It is gather
ed from the Investigations that have
been made that hay stored for long
time decreases little in digestibillty.
Conditions Pertaining to the AMI