72 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



2-3 EDWARD VII., A- 1903 



iculars. A small platform scale is fairly convenient, but we find the spring balance 

 preferable. 



5. Many farmers keep records of the amount of food fed to individual cows. If 

 you would like to do so, sample forms would be sent free on writing J. H. Grisdale, 

 Agriculturist, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ont. 



BEEF PRODUCTION. 



In the usual course of affairs in Canada, steers are bought in by the feeder a shorter 

 or longer time before winter feeding begins, and fed through the season for the Easter or 

 later spring market. It is evident, therefore, that the feeder to be successful from a 

 financial standpoint, must also be a fairly good business man, A cent or fraction thereof 

 per pound too low or too high may quite easily spoil aU chances ofja profitable operation. 

 Supposing the autumn seller to know his business, the buyer may make a great mistake 

 by investing in cheap feeders, much more easily than he may err in securing feeders too 

 nearly finished, or of too high a quality for his prospective market. Examples of too 

 good a class of cattle being fed are of, course, exceedingly rare, but such lots are met 

 with once in a while. The great danger and the common mistake made is in securing 

 too common a class at too high a price per pound, even though the price paid sounds 

 ridiculously low when contrasted with quotation for good feeders or prime finished 

 beeves. It is seldom indeed that the poor steer can be bought cheap enough to make 

 the feeding profitable. The choice feeder, however, at a reasonable price frequently leaves 

 a small balance as profit. 



To select the good feeder requires much experience, a good eye and some courage. 

 Experience is necessary that the buyer may know the general characteristics, the indes- 

 cribable peculiarities which go to indicate the profitable feeder, which point out almost 

 unmistakably the ' good doer ', the steer with the hearty appetite, and the power to 

 use his food profitably ; that is, convert it into the right sort of meat in the right place. 



A good eye is necessary that the buyer may select only such steers as have the 

 right shape for the beef producing animal. It is easy for almost any one who knows 

 anything about beef cattle to decide after a leisurely examination that a certain indi- 

 vidual conforms fairly well to the requirements of the ideal steer. It is diificult for any 

 but an expert or one with an eye well trained to see properly at a glance, (in spite of 

 surroundings) to go into a * bunch ' of feeders and thence select such animals as are best 

 suited for feeding purposes ; because such selection must include only broad-backed, 

 straight-topped, deep-bodied, long, deep and square quartered, wide-chested, short-necked, 

 quiet and clear-eyed, broad and clean headed, short and rather fine limbed, soft, mossy- 

 haired and mellow handling, medium thick skinned animals, with a fair paunch deve- 

 lopment, a good spring of rib, a rather straight underline, and a well filled twist. Such 

 animals always feed well, and, what is equally important, always sell well. 



But now comes the moment for a display of courage, in the eyes of many feeders 

 such cattle are, if they carry any flesh at all, always fit for the butcher. Many feeders 

 think they cannot put a sufficient weight on a steer in good condition, to pay for the 

 feeding. In this judgment the most pov/erful argument is fear, fear that the steer is 

 already fat, or fear that the choice steer next spring will not bring any more than the 

 medium steer last spring (on which the profits were exceeding small if not minus) expe- 

 rience of the best feeders has shown over and over again that it is the good steer pays, 

 and pays well. It is therefore always wise to select the good steer and feed him well. 

 Little fear need be entertained for the outcome since for every one mistake or loss with 

 good steers there are dozens with inferior steers. 



The steer once selected and the stabling period on, the feeder must exercise great 

 care in making all arrangements. Every comfort provided pays, and pays well ; every 

 precaution against loss on every individual steer is a guard against failure on the whole 

 lot. If steers have been friendly during the pasture period, let them be together to feed. 

 If feeding loose, putting one or two small or weak steers with a number of large, strong 

 animals is a mistake. Draughts should be guarded against because they cost extra feed, 



