Feed and Management of Fattening Cattle. 393 



age of good quality there is less danger in bringing cattle to full 

 feed. 



When once the feeding period is well inaugurated, all sudden 

 changes in attendants, place and manner of feeding as well as of 

 the feed itself should be carefully avoided. Everything should 

 move with quiet, clock -like regularity. The cattle come to know 

 not only the hour but almost the minute of the feeder's arrival 

 and watch for him. On his coming they expect the same sort of 

 feed as before and the same little attentions. All of this means 

 better gains than are possible from any irregular system. If 

 changes in feed are necessary, as they sometimes are, for ex- 

 ample, changirg from ear corn or shelled corn to corn meal, the 

 transition should be gradual rather than immediate and violent. 

 Sometimes stockmen are tempted to give their cattle bits of un- 

 usual food in expectation of stimulating the appetite and getting 

 heavier gains. This practice is often worse than useless. The 

 gourmand steer is content with uniformity in his rations, and if 

 not led to anticipate unusual attentions is satisfied with a limited 

 bill of fare, provided always the supply is ample. 



604. Close attention required. The ability to fatten cattle 

 rapidly and profitably is a gift, to be increased and strengthened 

 by experience and study. The ability to carry a steer through 

 a six months' fattening period without once getting him " off feed " 

 is possessed by many a stockman; but how this faculty is attained 

 is something he cannot always impart to others. In general, 

 when the steer has reached full feed, aU the grain he will readily 

 consume should be supplied, but any left in the feed box, to be 

 breathed over, is worse than wasted. 



Scouring, the bane of the stock feeder, should be carefully 

 avoided, since a single day's laxness will cut off a week's gain. 

 This trouble is generally induced by over-feeding, by unwhole- 

 some food, or by a faulty combination in the ration. Over-feed- 

 ing comes from a desire of the attendant to push his cattle to 

 better gains, or from carelessness and irregularity in measuring 

 out the feed supply. The ideal stockman has a quick discern- 

 ment which takes in every animal in the lot at a glance, and a 

 quiet judgment which guides the hand in dealing out feed ample 



