The Delta independent., 1923-02-23
Morgan Sweitzer
alks on Feeding
of Our Livestock

In a recent interview with Morgan
Sweizer, who for two years was county
agent for a county on the Eastern
Slope, the following information con-
cerning the feeding of livestock was
gathered.
For horses the BEST feed grown in
this section is alfalfa hay and oats,
which may be supplemented with oat
straw and pasture. Gull apples ard
roots, such as beets, mangels. carrots
turnips, etc, are very beneficial. Po-
tatoes fed in small quantities through
out the day have food value OF about
35 per cent of the food value Of alfalfa
hay. They should not be fed in excess
of Is pounds per horse each day and
may be fed either cooked or raw. AL
falfa hay should not be fed in excess
as it will cause kidney trouble.
Dairy COWS should have pleat- of
good, leafy alfalfa hay and chopped
grain. An equal portion of oats and
corn make a very good chop. of which
a pound should be fed to each four
pounds of milk given by the cow. The
hay may be supplemented by roots,
beet pulp or silage. Beet pulp and
silage should be fed after milking. as
it is liable to taint the milk if fed
before. Cooked Gull potatoes are also
very good.
a good pasture, containing bee,
tops, corn or alfalfa stubble and
good, bright straw stack. is sufficient
to winter beef cattle through. How
ever, plenty of good alfalfa ray is re-
quired to fatten, and supplemented
with chopped grain, silage or beet
pulp will put beef cattle in first class
shape for market
Hogs need variety and will do little
good on any one kind of feed. Corn
is the fundamental grain. while plenty
of good alfalfa is absolutely necessary.
Carbohydrates are obtained from corn
while the proteins are obtained from
alfalfa. If the alfalfa and corn are
placed in self feeders the hogs will
balance their own ration They should
also have access to tankage or skim
milk. Cooked Gull potatoes have a
value equal to about one-fourth the
value of grain, but potatoes are of
very little value uncooked.
To winter sheep through, a good
pasture, alfalfa and ground oats are
sufficient. while ground corn should be
added to fatten.
The feeding of chickens requires,
perhaps, more care and thought than
any other livestock. In the evening a
mixture OF wheat and whole corn in
equal amounts should be scattered in a
Tha hfrl vii iRk
out the corn in the evening and 1t has
heating properties which keep their
bodies warm during the night In the
morning they will exercise and get
thoroughly warmed up scratching for
the wheat in the litter. At noon they
should have dry chop of wheat, corn
and oats in equal proportions. Plenty
of green feed such as mangels or beets
and small amount of meat scrap is
also necessary, while buttermilk or
sweet milk is very good. Hot mashes
are very good on cold days, but should
not constitute a whole feed.
Mr.. Sweitzer tells us that stock will
balance their own rations pretty well
il they have the materials before
them, but they must have the different
materials and plenty Of them.
1t is noticed that all Of the products
named in this article are grown right
here in Delta County and that the
livestock to which they are fed is also
grown here. Farmers throughout the
country are turning more and more
to thoroughbred stock and to scientific
methods of feeding and caring for
them, and it is gratifying to notice
the great stride that Delta County
farmers have made along these lines