Prior to the current way cattle are fed out when farms were much smaller and diversified. It was common practice for farmers to have a small cow herd along with a milk cow or two, chickens, sheep and hogs. The grain that was raised on the farm was "walked to town" other words it was fed to the livestock. The calves would be penned separately in a lot and hand fed corn daily and a few hogs would also be in the lot to sort thru the manure to find the corn that passed thru the cattle that was not "utilized". The hogs would reach market weight relatively free of expense from the corn that would have never been lost otherwise.