Feed and Management of Fattening Cattle. 383 



aii y practiced. In general, directions for feeding cheap com may 

 be summed up by the single statement: Let the feeder supply this 

 grain to his cattle in the most inexpensive manner possible so 

 long as they consume full rations without difficulty in mastication. 

 (536, 538) 



583. Preparing corn for feeding. — Ifot infrequently the feeder 

 must prepare corn for his cattle, — the large size of the ears, 

 the di'yness of the grain, or other conditions rendering some 

 treatment necessary. Soaking the corn has already been re- 

 ferred to and may often be practiced with advantage. The simplest 

 form of reduction is the rather crude but common practice of 

 breaking the ears, in the feed box, into three or four pieces, 

 uaing a hatchet. Another satisfactory method of preparation is 

 to reduce the ears, with or without husks, to a reasonable degree 

 of fineness by running them through a crusher, which breaks the 

 cobs into many pieces, cracking some of the kernels. Corn and 

 cob meal has been found very satisfactory by feeders, the animals 

 not getting '^off feed" so easily as when pure meal is fed. 



As before stated, larger returns can be secured from corn meal 

 than from whole grain, but there are several disadvantages 

 attendant upon its use. Little or nothing can be gained by pigs 

 following steers fed corn meal, and because of its heavy nature 

 indigestion and other difficulties commonly attend its use. Corn 

 meal should never be fed alone in large quantity, but should 

 be diluted or given increased bulk by the addition of bran, oil 

 meal or other substance, in which case the dangers incident to its 

 use are usually overcome. The claim that toward the close of the 

 fattening period corn meal is especially useftd in giving more finish 

 is probably correct, on the theory that the digestive organs have 

 become weakened by the continued feeding of whole corn, and 

 their activities are in some measure renewed when the steer is 

 given meal. 



The amount of com to be fed fattening steers and the gain 

 made are shown in the preceding chapter. 



584. Bran. — This by-product was at first regarded with favor 

 only by dairymen. Gradually the steer feeder is learning its value 

 in conneetion with other grain in the feed b'^x. Because of its 





