The Bulletin, 21 



If they gain 2 pounds per day and sell for 4%c. per pound 



they will bring $1,781.25 



Loss '81 



If they gain 2 pounds per day and sell for 5 cents per 



pound they will bring. $1,875.00 



Profit 02.94 



These figures make it plain that if a profit is to be made by feeding 

 beef cattle for a period of 150 days an advance of from $1.25 to $1.50 

 per hundred pounds must be had in selling price over cost price laid 

 down at the farm, and that an average daily gain of from 1% pounds 

 to 2 pounds per day must be made by the cattle. Steers worth 31/^ 

 cents per pound when bought, should gain two pounds per day on the 

 rations suggested, and after being fed 150 days, and weighing 1,250 

 pounds each, should be well worth 5 cents per pound, farm weight. 



On a shorter feeding period the gains ought to be a little better, but 

 the selling price would probably be lower. In fact, the greatest diffi- 

 culty is in finding a market accessible that will pay the full value for 

 the better grade of cattle, and it is possible that a grade of cattle that 

 can be sold for 41/2 cents and still leave a margin of- 1^^ cents over 

 purchase price will yield a larger net return, but with this grade of 

 cattle the feeding period should be shortened or the gains will not be 

 nearly so great as with cattle of better quality. 



On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that there is cer- 

 tainly a profit on the corn stover at $5.00 per ton, of at least $2.00 

 per ton, and that there ought to be a profit of $1.00 per ton on silage 

 at $2.50 per ton. The function of beef cattle is to turn feed into 

 beef, and we therefore must not demand a profit on the production of 

 the feed and on the cattle also. 



If we count the corn stover at $3.00 per ton and the silage at $1.50 

 per ton — about what they should cost — there is a profit on feeding 

 these 30 steers, even if they only make a gain of IV2 pounds per day, 

 and sell for 4% cents per pound. Moreover, if these cattle will pay 

 the cost price of the feeds consumed, the manure, so much needed on 

 our worn soils, will pay sufficient profit to justify the feeding opera- 

 tions. 



GETTING TO FULL FEED. 



This is a much more difficult and important matter than is com- 

 monly supposed. Not less than twenty to thirty days should be taken 

 for the purpose, for the quantity of feed given at first should be very 

 small and slowly and regularly increased in order to prevent derange- 

 ment of the appetite or digestion. If care is not taken some of the 

 cattle are more than likely to suffer from diarrhoea or "scours." This 



