156 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



the mixture will be durum wheat and two-thirds oats. 

 Peas and a little flax grown with the other foods will 

 improve the mixture. 



Observations regarding foods. — Certain observations 

 regarding some of the more important foods and also 

 certain facts relating to feeding are now submitted. They 

 are as given below: 



1. A\'hile no roughage has been found superior to 

 well-cured alfalfa for making increase, and while cattle 

 are, in some instances, prepared for the market, as in 

 the mountain valle3's, by feeding alfalfa only, there are 

 the following objections to such feeding: First, the 

 ration is not balanced, having an excess of protein ; 

 second, the meat produced is too highly colored ; and, 

 third, the increase will not be so great relatively as when 

 a moderate amount of grain is fed along with it. When 

 fed alone, and uncut, from 40 to 50 pounds are fed daily, 

 the portion left being fed to stock cattle. When chaffed 

 about 25 per cent less will suffice. 



2. When cattle are being fattened, as in the corn 

 belt, essentially on unprepared corn, that is, on corn in 

 the bundle, good results will frequently be obtained by 

 supplementing the corn thus fed with corn and cob 

 meal to the extent of half the grain requirement, and 

 adding I pound of a protein food to each 5 pounds 

 of the grain thus added, as shock corn does not furnish 

 enough grain, unless it is fed to a wasteful extent. The 

 protein may be given in the form of oil meal or cake, 

 cottonseed meal, gluten meal, or wheat bran. The 

 amounts of protein concentrate should be kept to the 

 lowest point consistent with good gains by feeding pro- 

 tein roughage, which is cheaper. 



3. Oilcake may be fed in large amounts when 

 fattening cattle, along with corn, even to the extent of 

 making half the concentrate fed. Such feeding, how- 

 ever, is usually very costly, and while increase will be 

 very rapid for a time, lessened increase soon follows to 



