Preparation of Feeding Stuffs. 215 



II. The Preparation of Feeds. 



In the nomadic stage of husbandry the animals gathered their own 

 food, the care of the owner ending when grazing, water, and protec- 

 tion from marauders were provided. With the change from primitive 

 times the growing of plants and their conservation for animal use 

 becomes an ever-increasing burden on the stockman. After gromng 

 the feed the next step is to harvest, store, and prepare it economically. 



331. Grinding corn for steers. — In a comprehensive study of the 

 practices of the cattlemen of Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois, Waters of 

 the Missouri Station,^ summarizing reports from 852 feeders, found 

 that : 



74 per cent fed ear corn during all or part of the feeding' period, 



50 per cent fed ear corn exclusively, 



25 per cent fed slielled corn during some part of the feeding period, 

 6.2 per cent fed crushed com exclusively, 

 3.2 per cent fed ground corn regularly. 



The ear corn was given either husked or unhusked, whole or broken, 

 and pigs followed the cattle to work over the droppings. These feed- 

 ers fed ear corn not thru ignorance or inability to grind, but because 

 long experience and close observation had taught the economy of so 

 feeding it. 



In trials with fattening steers getting clover hay for roughage, 

 Mumford of the Illinois Station- reached the conclusion that whole 

 corn was more efficient than shelled corn, and that, including the 

 gains made by pigs running with the steers, shelled corn was as eco- 

 nomical as corn meal, closing his report with the statement, "The 

 cheapest gains were made where the labor element in preparing the 

 feed was reduced to the minimum." 



Whoever studies the subject impartially will agree with Georgeson 

 of the Kansas Station,'' who, on reviewing his own feeding trials 

 bearing on this problem, writes: "This is not a very favorable show- 

 ing for corn meal, and I confess the result is contrary to my expecta- 

 tions. A considerable percentage of the whole corn passes thru the 

 animal undigested, and it would seem that the digestive juices could 

 act to better advantage on the fine corn meal than on the partially- 

 masticated corn and extract more nourishment from it, but appar- 

 ently this is not the case." Where pigs do not run with cattle it is 

 usually best to grind or crush the corn before feeding. (523) 



' Bui. 76. ■' Bui. 103. ' Bills. 34, 60. 



