CATTLE-i-EEDi^-G.] CATTLE, AND THEIE VARIETIES. [cattle-feeding. 



nor expense incurred. He is worth several 

 pounds more ■nhen he is taken out of tlie 

 pasture, than when he was put into it ; and 

 this is the grand point in the mind of the 

 grazier. The requisites here laid down for 

 feeding, are strictly conformable to experience. 

 There is abundance of fresh and highly nu- 

 tritive food; there is little or no labour in 

 searching for and obtaining it; with water, 

 and shelter, and warmth, and also plenty of 

 air, and freedom from constraint. In feeding 

 cattle in winter these should be the objects to 

 be kept in view. They cannot feed in the 

 open air ; the cold and wet starve off the flesh 

 as fast as the food lays it on ; therefore, shelter 

 must be provided for them. 



In reference to the temperature at which 

 the atmosphere should be kept for the feeding 

 of animals, various opinions have been held. 

 At the Leeds meeting of the Yorkshire Agri- 

 cultural Society, this subject was partially dis- 

 cussed. The question was — Are we to run the 

 risk of a wasteful expenditure of food by per- 

 spiration under excessive heat? or are wo to 

 induce them to burn it up, to keep up animal 

 beat, by exposure to too much cold ? Nay 

 will not different classes of feeding animals be 

 subject to different consequences, from the 

 same degree of heat ? In the same cow-house 

 there may be some too hot, and others too 

 cold, from their different constitutions. Oxen 

 generally sweat at a temperature in which 

 heifers thrive admirably. This happens, at any 

 rate, till Christmas ; after which they seem to 

 be able to bear the same degree of heat as 

 female animals. A gentleman tied up two 

 sets of feeding bullocks —eight in a warmer 

 shed than the rest, where they were allowed 

 the same quantity and kind of food; but those 

 in the warmer shed made more beef than those 

 in the colder; thus showing that warm air, as 

 ■well as warm food, is higlily favourable to the 

 fattening of short-horns. The temperature 

 arrived at was about 55° to G0° of Fahrenheit. 

 A temperature beyond this caused them to 

 leave their food, and lose their tone and ap- 

 petite. 



Perfect quiet, and proper shelter, are very 

 necessary to insure successful feeding. This 

 fact is well known. An animal that has to 

 search for its food will not readily fatten, 

 because it gives ofl", in waste, the very prin- 

 GOl 



ciple that is necessary to enable it to accumu- 

 late fat. Hence the turnips for cattle should 

 always be brought to them, instead of their 

 being driven to the turnips. Whether animals 

 feed fastest in the darlc, or not, is another ques- 

 tioned point. " There can be no doubt what- L 

 ever," says Mr. Milburn, " that anything which f 

 distracts their attention, which excites action, 

 or which produces nervous irritation, is op- 

 posed to fattening ; and as darkness will induce 

 sleep, and promote quietness, it is so far favour- 

 able ; but it is not so easy to have darkness 

 and sufficiency of fresh air at the same time ; 

 and therefore, the best possible state, perhaps, 

 is to have the feeding-houses rather in a state 

 of shady gloom than in absolute darkness. A 

 certain amount of nervous energy is necessary 

 to give tone to the vital powers. Beyond this, 

 repose and quietness are easily attained by a 

 simple gloom ; while shelter from flies and heat 

 in summer, and from blasts, wet, and extreme 

 cold in winter, should be carefully provided." 

 The same gentleman adds, that abundance of 

 good food, and regularity of feeding, are essen- 

 tials in all kinds of fattening; and that it is 

 not desirable to allow tlie animals to have food 

 standing before them when they are filled ; nor 

 should they, on the other hand, ever experience 

 a single feeling of want. The usual hours of 

 feeding should be strictly adhered to, for the 

 twofold purpose of inducing regular periods 

 of sleep, and for supplying the system with 

 food at the first call of appetite. Variety in 

 the vegetables given them, too, is another most 

 essential element of rapid fattening; and it 

 may not be far from the truth to say, that all 

 kinds of food are eqiialhj fattening, if they are 

 given in sufficient variety. If roots, grain, 

 and bay be changed every few days, the appe- 

 tite is never cloyed ; and the whole are de- 

 voured with a relish which develops fat in the 

 most rapid manner. 



In this country, food, to be esteemed palata- 

 ble—indeed, to be consumable — must be fat. 

 Unless it has this recommendation it is abso- 

 lutely unsaleable. The tastes of the higher, 

 and the necessities of the lower classes, de- 

 mand well-fattened beef, mutton, and pork; 

 and any meat brought to market in a lean or 

 scraggy condition, is denounced as a sort of 

 carrion. The younger members of the opera- 

 tive's lamily have to content themselves with 



