THE SELF-FEEDER 155 



before turning them to the feeder. In the opinion of the 

 writer the place to use the self-feeder is with long fed 

 cattle — that is, cattle that have been fed corn liberally 

 from three to four months. 



"Cattle do not eat regularly." The following replies 

 also bear upon this point: "Cattle eat more than they 

 will assimilate." "It is like a man eating at all times; 

 he soon regrets it." "Cattle glut themselves." "Cattle 

 have too much feed at the start; therefore get off feed 

 more easily." "Had four steers foundered last year." 

 It should be added that with the exception of the 

 one last mentioned these statements are made by men 

 who are not using the self-feeder and do not mention 

 ever having used it. 



"Cattle lose their appetite sooner than by hand feed- 

 ing." "Prefer to have steers get hungry." "Like to 

 have cattle clean up feed every day." "Slobber over 

 corn and do not eat it so well." "Cannot mix oil meal, 

 bran, etc., to good advantage." "Cattle need variety 

 of feed." "To give this I feed in bunks once a day in 

 addition to self-feeder." "Eat less, gain less." "Cattle 

 should clean up feed an hour after every feed." 



"The tendency is to neglect cattle." "Cattle are not 

 watched closely enough." "Cattle are not so gentle." 

 "The best self-feeder is the man who has his money in 

 the cattle." 



"Cattle waste feed by licking out and slobbering over 

 it." "I use it when corn is not too high." "Opening 

 gets clogged, due to damp weather or slobbering of 

 cattle." "Damp weather causes feed to become lumpy 

 or stale." 



CATTLE WILL EAT AS THEY REQUIRE 

 Considering these objections a little more in detail, 

 it may be said that where a judicious use of the self- 

 feeder is made cattle will eat as they require. They 

 may or may not eat regularly, but in our experience 

 they make their visits to the self-feeder with remarkable 



