Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1882 — Experiments in Feeding. [ARTICLE]

Experiments in Feeding.

The superintendent of the model farm at Guelph, Canada, gives as below the results of some experiments made there in cattle feeding: 1. A steady, frosty winter is better than an open one in feeding cattle. 2. An average 2 or 3-year-old steer will eat its own weight in different materials in two weeks. 3. Two or 3-year-old cattle will add one-third of a pound more per day to their weight upon prepared hay and roots than upon the same materials unprepared. 4. It is 30 per cent, more profitable to premature and dispose of fattening Cattle at 2 years old than to keep them up to 3 years. 5. There is no loss in feeding a cattle beast well upon a variety of materials, for the sake of manure alone. 6. Farm-yard manure from well-fed cattle 3 years old is worth an average of $3.20 per ton. 7. A 3-year-old cattle beast, well fed, will make at least one ton of manure every month of winter. 8. No cattle beast whatever will pay for the direct increase to its weight from the consumption of any kind or quantity of food. 9. On an average it costs 12 cents for every additional pound of flesh added to the weight of a 2 or 3-year-old fattening steer. 10. In Canada the market value of store cattle can be increased 36 per cent, during six months of finishing by good feeding. 11. In order to secure a safe profit no store cgttle beast, well done to, can be sold at less than 41 cents per pound (live weight). 12. In the fattening of wethers, to finish as shearlings, the Cotswold and Leicester grades can be made up to 200 pounds, the Oxford-down 180 pounds, and the. Southdowm (grade) 160 pounds each (live weight). 13. A cow wintered upon tw r o tons and a half of hay w ill produce not far from five tons of manure, provided that she be well littered and none of the excrements be wasted.