270 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



sider the beneficial effect, if any, on the animals, but must also determine 

 whether such effect is marked enough to warrant the added expense in- 

 curred. The value of the different practices for each class of stock is 

 discussed in detail in the respective chapters -of Part III, but a summary 

 of the conclusions there drawn will be helpful in showing the principles 

 which should govern the feeder in deciding how far to employ such 

 methods of preparation. 



423. Grinding, crushing, or rolling grain. The value of grinding or 

 crushing the various grains for the different classes of stock is discussed 

 in detail in the respective chapters of Part III. However, the following 

 brief summary will be helpful in pointing out some of the main facts 

 concerning the profitableness of such preparation. As has been shown 

 before (83), grinding, crushing, or rolling grain increases the digestibility 

 only when animals fail to masticate the whole grain. For all animals, 

 such grains as bald barley or rice, which are unusually hard, or small 

 seeds, such as millet or weed seeds, should ordinarily be ground. For 

 animals with poor teeth or for young animals before their teeth are well 

 developed, grinding grain in general is advisable. Corn is not commonly 

 ground for horses, and the saving thru crushing or grinding oats amounts 

 to but 5 to 6 per ct. Such grains as barley and wheat should be crushed 

 or ground for horses. (463) All grain should usually be ground for 

 dairy cows. (656) Where pigs follow fattening cattle to gather up any 

 grain which escapes mastication and digestion, there is no advantage in 

 grinding corn or even shelling it, except perhaps toward the close of the 

 feeding period, when the cattle may be induced to eat more by grinding. 

 Where no pigs run with cattle, it is usually economical to grind or crush 

 the corn before feeding. (735-6) The small grains should be ground for 

 fattening cattle. (730) Except in the case of small or hard seeds, sheep 

 with good teeth should grind their own grain. (833) While it pays to 

 grind the small grains for pigs, there is no appreciable advantage in 

 grinding corn for pigs weighing 150 Ibs. or less. For older animals 

 such preparation may sometimes be profitable. (920-1) 



424. Cutting, chaffing or grinding forage. Passing such coarse forages 

 as corn or the sorghums thru a feed cutter or shredder is usually profit- 

 able, not because the portions consumed are digested more completely but 

 because the animals waste less and the cut forage is more convenient to 

 handle. This applies to soilage as well as cured forage. (305) 



Whether or not it will pay to cut or grind hay will depend on the price 

 of the hay, on its quality, and on the cost of preparation. When hay is 

 cheap, there is little or no gain thru cutting or grinding hay of good 

 quality which will be consumed with little waste. Such preparation is 

 much more profitable with hay of poor quality, as the animals will con- 

 sume the cut hay with much less waste. With hay at recent prices, many 

 extensive feeders in the West have found it profitable to cut or grind 

 alfalfa hay, even when of good quality, for fattening cattle and sheep. 

 Trials show that chopping alfalfa hay of ordinary quality reasonably fine 



