The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-02-01
FEED ROUCKACE
TO SAVE Grain
Straw and Slower Satisfactory
for Making Up Large Part
Ct Winter Ration.
human FOOD IS CONSERVED
Largest Profits Returned From Herds
Maintained Most Largely on
RoughaJes-Not Good for
FatteniHe Swine.

Only those feeds should be used in
wintering live stock which will keep
the animals in thrifty, growing con-
Gition. In following this policy it is
possible for the stockman to cut down
his own feed bills and prevent from
going to waste many Of his home
grown farm products which in the past
have been entirely or partially lost in
utilizing as far as possible corn slower,
straw and such material, other prod
ucts formerly fed to live stock, but
which are suited and much needed for
human food, can be conserved.
1t is estimated that the total amount
of corn slower and straws burned.
plowed under, allowed to rot in stacks,
and wasted in other ways is worth
over $10O,O0O,OOO. This is an appalling
loss, and if these feedstuffs were used
In the feeding Of cattle, sheep, and
horses it would result in greatly in
creased profits to individual farmers
as we'll as tend to increase the supply
of meat and dairy products.
After three years study with cattle
in the corn belt the Office of farm
management of the United States de-
partment of agriculture has demon
strated that the breeding herds main
tanned most largely on roughage. such
as oat or wheat straw and corn slower
with a very snail quantity of con-
centrate feed, such as cottonseed meal.
corn, etc.,, are the herds from which
the large profits are returned.
How Straw Is Used.
OF the total amount of straw pro-
duced annually in the United States
$40 per cent, or "a. 7OS,OO0 tons, is esti-
mated to have been used for feeding
purposes, while that used for bedding
is estimated at 1913 per cent. or A.
$4,000 tons. Accordingly, the total
rsed liz live stock production would be
about 67.2 per cent, or 79,227,OOO tons.
The straw that was sold, plOwed I'M
der, and burned amounts to about 32.S
per cent of the total, or 1887 ,OOO
tons. Thus more than Onethird of the
total production of straw is being used
to disadvantage, one-half of which Is an
almost total loss. is straw is .nOt used
by live stock or plowed under, its value
as a soil-enriching material is mainly
lost. It's chief value as a fertilizing
material lies not in its fertilizing ele-
ments, but in its tissues as source OF
humus. Because of its value as a food
and, when used for bedding, as an alb
sorbent of liquid manure, it is very
poor economy to pillow straw under
when it can be used as feedstuff or
bedding material.
Use Straw and Slower.
Practical experience as well as ex'
detrimental work has taught that straw
and slower can be used very economi
caIly in the rations of almost all KINDS
of live stock. These roughages are
and should be used in the fattenine
rations of all farm animals except
hogs. and should compose larger part
of all wintering or keeping rations fol
cattle. sheep, and horses. Breeding
herds of beef cattl. or dry dairy cows
can be successfuny kept on rationi
composed largely Of these materials
Flocks of breeding ewes do well with
such feeds when some grain is added
Horses doing very light or no work
need little grain if given plentiful al
Iowance of clean, bright straw OF
slower. Under certain conditions, OF
course, grain should be added to the
ration, but it should be conserved as
largely as possible for human con
sumption.