>J^'JSHING CATTLE IN THE STALL OR SHED I4I 



such coarse concentrates as wheat bran and ground 

 oats. One objection to feeding oil meal as compared 

 with, oilcake in the nut form is its liability to adultera- 

 tion. 



The finishing of cattle for the block may be said 

 to cover three periods. The first is the preliminary 

 period during which they are being led up to a full ration 

 of concentrates, the second is the period during which 

 the deposition of fat is chiefly made, and the third is 

 the period of ripening or firming the flesh before send- 

 ing the animal to the block. The duration of each can- 

 not be stated by rule even relatively, owing, first, to the 

 difference in the condition of the animals when put on 

 feed, and, second, to the difference in the rations fed. 

 The second period, however, is much the longest. 



It has already been shown that during the prelimi- 

 nary period the food fed should contain a considerable 

 proportion of protein at first, and that the carbohydrates 

 in it should be increased until the animals are on full 

 feed. The deposition of fat should be rapid and con- 

 tinuous during the second period, hence the carbo- 

 hydrates should be abundantly present. During 

 this period, the concentrates fed may be more uniform 

 in kind and quantity than during the other periods, but 

 there may be advantage sometimes in substituting one 

 concentrate suitable in kind for another, in part, at least, 

 because of the influence which it may have upon the 

 appetite. Such concentrates as corn, peas, rye, barley, 

 speltz, and millet may be used in large proportions dur- 

 ing this period, large enough to constitute from 66 to 75 

 per cent of the concentrates fed, and when fed along 

 with good clover and alfalfa may constitute all of the 

 grain or meal. Such foods as bran and oilcake during 

 this period are chiefly useful as regulators of digestion, 

 but with good clover or alfalfa hay it may be possible 

 to dispense with both. 



During the third period, the appetite will almost 



