532 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



to 270 pounds of grain. The cows were on pasture during that 

 same period for about 18 months — that is, three entire summers. 

 The total cost of the feed supplied and the pasture was $77.72. 

 During the time this experiment was conducted the cost of grazing 

 mature cattle was $4.50 per head for the entire season, whereas, 

 next summer the cost will be from $7.00 to $8.00. Estimating the 

 cost of feed and taking from that the increased value of the cattle 

 leaves the net cost of producing one calf as $20.46 for an average 

 of three years from each of the cows. With these figures in mind, 

 assuming that the cows must necessarily consume a considerable 

 amount of roughage and a relatively small amount of grain, which 

 is fed just before calving in the spring, it is readily seen that! 

 roughage and pasture are the chief factors that the farmer would 

 take into consideration in maintaining a beef breeding herd. 



The average calf crop for three years was 87.9 per cent of 

 the number of cows. Out of 100 cows we secured a little over 

 87 calves each year. The pasture, roughage and grain required for 

 maintenance of calves was charged entirely to the cow rather than 

 the calf, so that the cost of maintaining the calf up until weaning 

 time was estimated in the cost of the cow. The yearlings consumed 

 each year an average of 2,444 pounds of roughage. During the 

 same year they consumed an average of 286.2 pounds of grain, 

 and they were on pasture six months of that time. The total cost 

 of the feed of those yearlings, under the conditions under which 

 this experiment was conducted, was $16.47 per head over and above 

 their cost at weaning. The other figures represent the feed re- 

 quirements for two-year-olds and three-year-olds. 



These cattle were marketed in November, 1911, wher^ market 

 values were low as compared with today. The steer calves from 

 the entire crop averaged $23.14 and the heifers brought $19.78, an 

 average of $21.57 for the calves. In other words, it would cost 

 $20.46 to produce the calf and the value was $21.57. That does 

 not look like a very large margin, but this year — in fact, within 

 the last week, I have bought a bunch of calves just about as well 

 bred, which cost us delivered in our feed lots at Manhattan, $33 

 per head. The yearling steers were valued at $35.26 and the yearl- 

 ing heifers at $31.54. You will notice there is a difference in this 

 case of only a little over $3.00 between the value of the steer and 

 the heifer calves, of $4.00 between yearling steers and heifers and 

 $8.00 between two-year-old steers and heifers. That means that 

 it is more profitable for one who is going into the production of feed- 



