CATTLE-FEEDING EXPERIMENTS 217 



consumed a third less straw than those receiving a 

 fairly heavy feed of concentrates (S to 9 Ibs. per head 

 per day). 



Experiments at Cockle Park in 1910 indicate that 

 for fattening bullocks 7 Ibs. hay were equal to 12 Ibs. 

 oat straw. 



Root Crops. These are exceedingly useful, on 

 account of their juicy, cooling, and laxative properties. 

 The order in which they are fed depends largely on 

 the time of maturity as well as on their keeping 

 properties, hence turnips are fed in the autumn. These 

 are followed by yellows, and the yellows by swedes. 

 In England, mangels may be substituted for swedes 

 to a greater or less extent, as the case may be. When 

 the leaves or " tops " are fed, they have a tendency to 

 scour the cattle. 



Opinion differs as to which is the best way to feed 

 roots ; but it is generally agreed that for young bullocks 

 which are changing their teeth, the roots should be 

 given in slices, as they are more easily eaten. On the 

 other hand, butchers in the north-east of Scotland 

 maintain that cattle fed on whole roots (break their 

 own neeps) come out much fresher after a long and 

 fatiguing journey to Smithfield (London) than those 

 fed on pulped roots. 



Pulping is generally adopted when the hay or 

 straw is chaffed and mixed with pulped roots and 

 meals. Very often a little locust-bean meal or some 

 treacle is put into the mixture to sweeten it, and 

 after being allowed to ferment from twelve to 

 twenty-four hours, the mixture is fed to stock. 

 By so doing one may expect to save about is. 

 per head per week on the food bill, through chaffing 

 and pulping. 



