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Show QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. I.iulit on the Subject of Cooking ami Moistening Peed. L. E F. : "I am using a feetl mill which grinds up corn, husk, cob and all, making the grains about the size of hominy. Is it advisable to moisten the feed or is it just as well to feed it dry to the stock?" There are two schools of feeders, from each of which a different opinion would be given on this question. Some sue ccod admirably in the use of slops in the fattening process. I think it probable that somewhat the best results, especial- ly in fineness of finish, may be attained by starting the fattening process with moist feeds and gradually discontinuing their use by changing to more solid and dry feeds. Very few feeders are situated situ-ated so as to manage the wet feeding process iu a systematic, economical manner, man-ner, and taking this into consideration, together with the extra cost for preparation prepara-tion of food iu this manner, I believe that most feeders had better work along the dry process line. It is very certain that such feed as is described by our correspondent can produce an animal finished iu a very satisfactory manner, and I do not believe it will pay for oue to adopt the other system, ill the far west at least. To merely moisten the ground feed will have lil tie or no effect. The animal can do it cheaper and just as satisfactorily sat-isfactorily by going to the drinking trough after he has swallowed the dry grain. Besides, I think the steer will like the dry feed better than when some water has been poured over it. 1 would not think of cooking such feed, believing that there is no evidence at hand to show that even the fuel would be .paid for by such a process. If possible pos-sible use two or three pounds of oil meal a day. which will have a most excellent corrective effect besides affording a large amount of nutriment. W. H. H.: "I am feeding some steers that weighed 1,040 pounds, from grass three months ago. I havo fed whole corn tNrc-e months and expect them to weigh 1.000 pounds Jan. 1. Sow can 1 put 011 200 pounds of flesh in two months by grinding the corn and mixingit with cut fodder or hay and bran or oil cake? Brans cost twelve dollars, oil cake twenty-two dollars per ton." If the steers have been fed whole corn for three months I doubt if 2o0 pounds additional flesh can be put on in sixty days. If the animals have been gaining rapidly this feeder will find 2 or 2 pounds a day a very good gain for the last two months. Of course there yill -WiM prpEi m" tiKthcr J'-S'dTng from ihiO frain made of itself, the advantage, bring br-ing in the increase iu the market value of the whole carcass. The change from whole corn to cornmeal should be made gradually and in snch a manner as to in no way reduce the quantity of grain consumed. con-sumed. Do not' attempt to mix it witir cut corn fodder, hay or any coarse feed at this time, for I do not think the animals ani-mals will take kindly to such a mixture after having been Hires months on whole corn. Keep the coarse fodders in a rack by themselves. Mix oil meal or bran or both with the meal. At the prices named for bran and oil meal 1 should use some of both, being governed largely by the choice o the steers themselves. A good ration for a 1,500 pound steer would be two pounds of bran with three or four of oil meal and from ten to twelve of cornmeal. Professor Henry in Breeder's Breed-er's Gazette. |