148 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



upon the temperature of the place in which the 

 heap is made, and after about forty-eight hours 

 the material is ready to be used. The object of 

 such a process is to improve the flavour of food 

 substances, which otherwise would not readily be 

 eaten. As fermentation is always accompanied by 

 loss of nutrients such concentrated foods as oil 

 cakes, ground corn, bran, etc. should not be used. 

 In years when it is necessary to feed a lot of straw, 

 the above-mentioned fermentation process provides 

 a welcome change. The fermented fodder has a 

 pleasant fruit-like smell, and is best suited to grown 

 cattle ; if given to cows it is apt to impart an un- 

 pleasant taste to the milk, particularly if it has 

 lain for some time or has not been cleanly prepared. 



12. The manufacture of feeding loaves. 



For this purpose the various feeding flours, 

 ground corn, and leguminous seeds, bran, flesh, and 

 fish meals, and blood meal are used. Sometimes 

 also old bread, milk, whey, molasses, potatoes, chaff, 

 chopped hay, etc. The dough made from some 

 such suitable material generally gets an addition of 

 salt, sometimes also a little flavouring, such as 

 aniseed, and after being raised by sour dough, or 

 yeast, is baked. If the materials chosen give a 

 sufficiently light loaf the fermentation may be 

 dispensed with. 



As such loaves are apt to become mouldy, it is 

 preferable, if they have to be kept for some time, 



