226 THE MANAGEiMEIvT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



that will furnish the most protection from prevailing 

 winds. 



When wintering animals thus, stanchions may not 

 be necessary at all. Usually they will not be necessary 

 where fodders only are fed, if the supply of these is 

 ample. Where supplies are insufftcient for full feeding 

 they should be used by all means at least for the weaker 

 animals. For these it would be necessary to have a 

 separate place for feeding. Stanchions would also be 

 necessary where a small amount of grain is fed, at least 

 while it is being eaten, otherwise the weaker animals 

 would get little or none of the concentrate. 



General character of the food fed. — The general char- 

 acter of the food fed should be such as to aim to feed 

 roughage to the greatest extent practicable, concen- 

 trates to the least extent required, and succulence only 

 to the extent that may be necessary. Notwithstanding, 

 the general principle holds good that at least a reason- 

 able amount of flesh should be maintained, as flesh lost 

 in winter, though regained in summer, is so regained 

 only through the consumption of food that gives no 

 return until all that was lost has been replaced. Under 

 no other conditions can cattle be made to utilize to ad- 

 vantage so large a proportion of coarse and cheap fodders. 

 When so used, the benefit resulting is practically all 

 gain, where such food has no market value. If not thus 

 fed, its food value will be lost. The only benefit that 

 could be obtained from it would be that resulting from 

 its manurial value and the manurial value is not 

 materially lowered by feeding when the food is judi- 

 ciously fed. 



On the other hand, concentrates, unless damaged, 

 have a market value, and this value, compared with that 

 of rough fodders, is relatively high. Unless, therefore, 

 such foods may be fed so as to bring profit in the end 

 above what would result from feeding them, it is evident 

 that the aim would be not to feed them thus. Even 



