FLAVOUR IN STOCK FOOD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 806, 2 May 1910, Page 10

FLAVOUR IN STOCK FOOD.

. FACTOR OFTEN OVERLOOKED. . Flavour; is an important factor in wio .'feed-' (if stock. The' Sydney: "Tele-; graph" quotes an illustration. A man owning a number of pigs was in • the habit of feeding them wit'i kitchen refuse from a restaurant, to which ha added pollard and molasses, the latter to flavour the food. As an experiment ho -omitted the molasses, which the pigs had- .relished- greatly,, and-then- found, that the excrements of tho animals contained pieces of undigested food, aud that the animals became less keen in ■their appetites. :\Vhcn he again added the molasses these symptoms disap- : pb'arod; tilt pigs ate greedily, and tho food was <jnita digested. Salt is another substance that adds to the flavour of many foods, making, them more l , appetising -and therefore more digestible. .Both molasses and salt in this w,ay have a distinct value,, apart from their beneficial effect on the health of the animal. When'cooked potatoes are fed to pigs salt should be added. . Then every farrrer knows that a little salt ■ mixed with hay that is not quite as sweet as it might' be is a great im'\ provoment. The flavour aud the aroma of a feeding .stuff ,aro closely .. allied. How appetising is the aroma of wellfermented .ensilage, or of a good sample of brown lucerne hay? And■ hn'iv tho stock relish them! Thus, .to sum up, the value of a feeding stuff depends not • alone on its percentage of albuinoids, fat, and carbohydrates, but also on its appetising character, and the latter includes flavour, aiewa, preparation, and cleanliness.