CATTLE-FEEDING IK COLD WEATHER. 287 



WINTER-FEEDING. 



And first, let us consider the true method of feeding the 

 home-raised stock those young animals reared in an 

 atmosphere of kindness, that can be placed in stall, stan- 

 chion, shed or yard, without feeling the confinement irk- 

 some and becoming restive and nervous. The habits of 

 animals must be respected by the skillful feeder, or his 

 skill will not lead to profit. It is the indiscriminate con- 

 finement of cattle in stable that have been reared in the 

 open field, which has furnished the facts for the unfavor- 

 able reports of comfortable stall-feeding as compared to 

 open-air feeding in some of our Western States. Cattle 

 that have been raised in the open field without handling, 

 until two or more years old, had better be finished in the 

 same state of freedom, only giving such shelter as may be 

 enjoyed without confinement. But those animals that 

 have been fed as calves in warm stables, have become 

 familiar with their attendants, and take kindly to their 

 comfortable quarters these animals may be fed much 

 cheaper and grow much faster by continuing them in this 

 comfortable atmosphere. The feeder should always bear 

 this in mind that the animal is kept warm by the food it 

 consumes ; its animal heat always represents food, and the 

 amount of this food is always in proportion to the temper- 

 ature of the air surrounding the animal. A question of 

 economy arises here : Is it cheaper to overcome the cold 

 with food that is, by consuming an extra amount of food 

 in the blood of the animal or to keep out the cold by arti- 

 ficial means ? A warm stable, say that can be kept at a 

 temperature of 50 degrees, will save a large amount of food 

 during the cold season. Let us suppose that the out-door 

 temperature in a large part of the cattle-feeding districts 

 will average, for six months in the year, 25 deg. (F.), which 

 would make a difference of 25 degrees in favor of a warm 

 stable, this 25 degrees of temperature represents more food 



