138 THE itANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



fattening, but it may even retard it. It may be con- 

 sumed, but will not be resorbed into the body, thus tax- 

 ing the digestion to no useful end. 



The foods called for during such feeding must be 

 rich in protein, but the quantity of carbohydrates should 

 be gradually increased. Leguminous fodders, as clover, 

 alfalfa, or pea or vetch hay, can render great service 

 during this preliminary period. The favorite concen- 

 trates are ground oats and wheat bran as the base of 

 the grain food, either alone or, better, fed together. At 

 first they should compose not less than two-thirds by 

 weight of the meal fed. The other portion may be such 

 meal as corn, rye, or barley. The former are decreased 

 gradually so as to form not more than two-thirds of the 

 meal fed, when the animals are on full feed. The amount 

 fed at first should not be more than 6 pounds daily to 

 animals not recently fed grain with some liberality, but 

 it should be increased as they are able to turn it to good 

 account until they are on full feed. To feed much grain 

 at first would overtax the digestive organs before they 

 could accommodate their action to such feeding. Such 

 a result would greatly retard the fattening process. 

 Food thus fed is worse than wasted. 



Concentrates to feed. — The choice of concentrates 

 for feeding steers must be determined by such considera- 

 tions as relative suitability, relative cost, and the prob- 

 able duration of the fattening period. Almost any kind 

 of grain grown, when available, may be given a place in 

 fattening cattle at some stage of the fattening. But no 

 one grain is equally suitable for being fed in similar 

 quantities during the entire period of finishing. Oats, 

 probably, come nearest to this requirement, but their 

 relative high price makes it necessary usually to call 

 for feeding them in minimum rather than in maximum 

 quantities. Corn, probably, comes next to oats in such 

 suitability after the animals have been put upon full 

 feed. The aim should be to feed the cheapest concen- 



