SELECTING ANIMALS AND METHODS OF FEEDING 289 



gestive juices have opportunity to act more completely upon 

 ground grain than upon unground. Moreover, the animals 

 waste less when feeding. However, the cost of grinding deter- 

 mines whether it will pay or not. When grinding costs more 

 than one-tenth of the value of the grain, it is not likely to pay. 



It may be briefly stated that cooking the food rarely pays. 

 In many experiments animals have not done as well when 

 fed cooked food as when fed raw food. Furthermore, the 

 shredding of fodder and the cutting of hay do not usually pay. 



(e) Salt. — All live stock should be given the opportunity 

 to get all the salt they want. Salt is not a food nor does it 

 increase the digestibility of feeds, but it stimulates the secre- 

 tion of digestive juices, tones up the digestive system, and 

 makes the food more palatable. When common salt is used 

 for salting it should be given regularly every few days, so that 

 the animals do not eat too much. It should not be placed di- 

 rectly on the food, but in a convenient place for the animals 

 to take what they wish. Rock-salt is much used by stockmen. 

 This kind of salt is in hard lumps, and the animals lick the 

 rock until they are satisfied. 



(/) Pigs Following Cattle. — Cattle fed on grain do not 

 fully digest all of it, and much of it passes through the animal 

 and appears in the excrement. Every feeder knows the de- 

 sirability of having pigs follow the cattle to pick up all such 

 grain. In the case of fattening steers fed on corn, there will 

 be enough grain in the droppings to keep in good growing 

 condition one pig per steer. Feeders generally prefer a pig 

 weighing about a hundred pounds. It often happens that the 

 only profit made in fattening steers is in the gains made by 

 the pigs following them, and the returns from increased yields 

 due to the manure produced. 



