804. Force Feeding Animals

Shabbos 21:34

Even though bran does not mix into a dough-like form, it is prohibited to mix it with water out of concern that one may come to mix earth and other things. One may pour water over bran and stir it with a spoon in every direction; one may not mix it by hand because doing so appears to be kneading. If the bran doesn’t mix well, one may pour it from container to container until it mixes well; he may then give it to his chickens or oxen. One is permitted to mix bran in one container in the above fashion and then apportion it into several containers to give to different animals. One may mix even a kor or two in one container. (A kor is about 60 gallons.)

Shabbos 21:35

One may not force-feed animals or birds on Shabbos the way one does during the week out of concern that one may come to crush beans, knead flour or perform comparable acts of labor. Therefore, on Shabbos one may not feed a camel enough food to last three or four days, nor hold a calf down, hold its mouth open, and pour in beans and water at once. Similarly, one may not put food in a dove or a chicken’s throat, from where they can not expel it. One is permitted to feed and water an animal while it is standing, or to put beans and water in its mouth separately so long as the animal has the ability to expel them. One may likewise feed birds by hand as long as they can expel the food. It goes without saying that one may put food in front of animals so that they can eat.