GENERAL FEEDING 461 



A second method sometimes adopted is to turn the 

 animals onto the pasture so early in the season that they 

 cannot eat grass to excess, because it is not present in 

 sufficient quantities. This method may be commendable in 

 some instances with sheep, which are usually benefited by 

 taking much exercise, but it is not to be commended in 

 the case of cattle, as they injure the pasture by poaching. 

 They hinder growth through too early cropping, and the 

 over exercise taken by them is adverse to increase in flesh. 



The change from autumn pastures to dry food is less 

 difficult to make. If the animals have been given a daily 

 supplement of dry fodder on the pastures before yarding 

 them, the check to increase should be but little felt. A 

 constipated condition of the bowels, however, should be 

 guarded against by feeding some food, as oil cake or field 

 roots in sufficient quantity to prevent such a result. 



Adjusting foods to the needs of animals. The prop- 

 er adjusting of foods to the needs of the animals so that 

 they will be fed with the greatest economy as to the utiliza- 

 tion of food and the utmost benefit to the animals, requires 

 much forethought and judgment on the part of the feeder. 

 It calls for the adaptation of foods: (i) To animals of 

 different ages; (2) to those of different classes and (3) 

 to the purposes for which they are kept. 



With reference to young animals during the milk pe- 

 riod, in nearly all instances it will be profitable to supple- 

 ment the milk with grain or meal that will promote the 

 proper growth of bone and muscle, and to feed in addi- 

 tion, unless in the case of swine, fodder, the finest and 

 most palatable that can be obtained. Subsequently to the 

 milk period the grain ration should be increased and the 

 quality of the other food maintained for several months. 

 The period between the age of, say one year, and maturity 

 in the case of foals and cattle, eight months and maturity in 

 that of lambs, and three months and maturity in the 

 case of swine, is the period when they can be fed most 

 cheaply, because of the small amount of grain required 



