USING FEEDS FOR BEST RESULTS 33 



Every kind of hay should be cured in the shock 

 before being placed in the mow; otherwise it may 

 become brown by heating and the digestibility of the 

 protein and soluble carbohydrates be diminished. 



Early cut hay is richer in protein and contains 

 less crude fiber than that cut late. The increased 

 weight, due to the longer growing period, chiefly 

 develops cellulose. As the plant ripens the more 

 nutritious compounds move into the seed, and leave 

 the food part of hay less valuable. The best time 

 for cutting hay is when the plants are in blossom; 

 the nutritious compounds at this time are dis- 

 tributed throughout the plants, and there is cor- 

 respondingly less woody tissue. 



Shall Grain Be Ground? Many grain feeds in- 

 crease their digestibility if they are ground. Corn, 

 oats, wheat and other grains often are so hard that 

 if passed into the stomach without mastication the 

 digestive juices fail to do their full duty. While this 

 is a true and an unfortunate condition, it does not 

 always follow that it is good business management 

 to grind these feeds. Experiments show that when 

 corn, for instance, is ground the returns are in- 

 creased from 8 to 15 per cent; yet the labor of haul- 

 ing to and from the mill or of grinding the grain at 

 home may mean a loss in the end. 



This factor must be determined by each individ- 

 ual, for no cut-and-dried rule will apply. The cus- 

 tom of following cattle and horses with pigs to pick 

 up the undigested grain or other food 'is both wise 

 and profitable, and satisfactorily meets this condi- 

 tion. 



