1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



209 



For the New England Farmer. 



THOUGHTS ON FEEDING CATTLE. 



Mr. Editor : — T am embargoed at home by 

 the great January thaw, which came a day too 

 late, having began February 1st, and having 

 nothing important to do except taking care of 

 my stock, I thought I could not more pleas- 

 antly employ myself than by having a little 

 epistolary intercourse with your many rea- 

 ders. 



The thermometer shows us that since the 

 12th day of December we have had an un- 

 commonly cold spell of weather; the mercury, 

 often falling as low as 10° to 10° below zero, 

 and hardly ever ranging higher than 20° above. 

 AVe have had, in the fifty days ending Febru- 

 ary 1st, but one day that it thawed. Dec. 2Gth 

 gave us a warm rain, that carried off the first 

 snow, of about six inches, and from that time 

 until the commencement of the snowy week, 

 January 17th, farmers could not ask for a bet- 

 ter time to cut and haul their year's supply o( 

 wood. Those who improved that time were 

 wise, and cold as was the weather by the ther- 

 mometer, the laboring man did not suffer, as he 

 would, had it been more changeable. 



The trouble with our climate is, the sudden 

 changes in temperature. This is not only deci- 

 dedly uncomfortable, when the mercury falls 

 or rises 20° to 40° in twelve hours, but is pio- 

 ductive of nearl>' all our lung diseases and 

 complaints of a similar nature. 



Until the 10th of December, the ground 

 was not only bare, but open. I ploughed grass 

 ground till the afternoon of that day, which 

 was a thing 1 never remember to have done 

 before, in the thirty-five years that I have car- 

 ried on a farm. I have kaown occasionally 

 two or three days in January that I could use 

 a plough, but never a season that the ground 

 was not closed earlier than this last. 



But I am gossiping on matters of no great 

 practical importance, whereas, when 1 set 

 down, I had one in my inin<l that, at the pres- 

 ent time, aH'ects tlie pockets of every farmer 

 owning and feeding stock, and in relation to it I 

 write, as much or more to induce inquiry and 

 thought on the matter, as from any informa- 

 tion 1 can give from my own experience, for I 

 take shame to myself in saying that 1 have not 

 made accurate experiments to deciile the ques- 

 tion for myself. The (piestion is this: 



How much hay, or its equivnlent in grain, is 

 necessary to keep cattle in good thrift? 



For answer, one farmer will tell me that he 

 feeds his cattle three times a day ; another, 

 five; another, seven ; and yet another, as often 

 as he goes to the barn, which is at uncertain 

 intervals, perhaps to-day three times, and to- 

 morrow six. 



Now, there must be a "golden mean'' some- 

 ■wheres, and while we want milch cows to give 

 a liberal mess and keep in good condition, and 

 oxen to freely do their part of the winter's work, 

 and the young stock to be continually gaining. 



we cannot afford to feed more than is necessary, 

 while hay is selling at $35 per ton at the barn, 

 thirty miles from Boston. 



I believe that most farmers feed too much 

 and too often. I have noticed that the lean 

 man is the great eater. Set ten starved-look- 

 ing men at one table, and ten sleek, fat ones 

 at another table, and the first will eat one-third 

 more than the last ; not only once, but every 

 day for a year. Why is this ? I can't say for 

 certain, but my theory is this : the lean, spare 

 man eats, from habit, more than he needs, 

 more than his digestive powers can properly 

 dispose of, and this so injuriously affects the 

 whole system as to keep him poor in flesh ; 

 while the digestive powers of the fat man, who 

 eats sparingly, are kept healthy, and the iiu- 

 triment is properly absorbed by the system. 

 Reasoning by analogy, if this is true in man, 

 would it not be so in beasts ? I believe it 

 would. That, when cattle are fed too often 

 and too much, some of the food is wasted, and 

 the digestive powers so overworked as to take 

 from the thrift of the stock. Allow me to cite 

 an instance or two in point. 



A neighbor of mine, last winter, asked me 

 what made his horse so poor, while, said he, 

 I am sure I give liim enough to cat. 



How do you feed him? said I. 



Well, I always fill his rack, when I feed my 

 cattle. 



How often do you feed your cattle? 



About five or six times day ; sometimes sev- 

 en or eight, ^vhen 1 happen at the barn. 



Do you feed all dry hay ? 



Yes, said he, I believe enough good hay 

 ought to satisfy any horse. 



Well, I answered, perhaps it had, but if ybu 

 will ft ed your horse with cut feed, twice a day, 

 mixing two or three quarts of meal with it, 

 when you wet it, and not give him more than 

 one-third of the hay in all, that you now do, 

 you will be the gainer, by saving two-thirds of 

 your hay. for the four or six quarts of meal, 

 ami your lioise will be a greater gainer by the 

 change than yourself. * 



But, said he, I don't have much for my horse 

 to do at this time of year, and I haven't much 

 corn to spare. 



Corn, said I, at present prices, is cheaper 

 feed than hay. Sell a ton of hay, and bring 

 home the amount in meal. Use it, and you 

 will thank me in the spring for my advice. 

 I see, also, that you feed your cattle on 

 meadow hav. This will keep life in them, but 

 you want them to gain. Sell a ton or two of 

 "that, cut your hay and sprinkle on a little meal, 

 and your cattle will thank you. At present 

 prices of stock, you cannot afford to let your 

 cattle stand still. Make them gain, for your 

 own sake, as well as theirs. 



My advice was followed in regard to the 

 horse, evidently to his advantage ; but it was 

 too much work to do it for his cattle. 



Another man, in an adjoining town, who has 

 as good, if not a better team, than the next 



