1156 ' EXPERIMENT STATION RECOKD. 



feed, carbonaceous in character and lacking in buUi, the tendency to produce 

 flesh and fat is readily developed ; but owing to the smaller proportion of 

 nitrogenous constituents contained in such feed and its lack of bulk the animal's 

 frame does not make a proiiortionate development, and its natural growth is 

 checked at the expense of the development of flesh and fat. Consequently a 

 slight reduction in size and greater fineness of bone are generally associated 

 with early maturity. 



" When very heavy feeding is resorted to there is always the danger of over- 

 feeding, which often results in permanent injury to the animal." 



Before weaning, whole milk is the best feed for calves, though good results 

 may be obtained with skim milk if the whole milk is not available. 



" Calves fed on skim milk tend to grow in frame rather than to fatten, 

 although their gains may be as rapid as the gains made by calves fed on whole 

 milk. The use of skim milk in producing baby beef therefore lengthens the 

 l)eriod of production. . . . 



"The method of feeding adopted [after weaning] . . . will depend largely 

 upon the nature of the feeds available and the season of the year. Previous to 

 weaning the ration consists of whole milk supplemented by grain, or skim milk 

 with a small amount of flaxseed .ielly, or some other substitute to take the place 

 of butter fat in addition to grain. Corn with milk produces an excellent balance 

 of heat, fat, and muscle-producing feed. After weaning the protein of the milk 

 must be restored by some other feed, although a relatively smaller proportion 

 of it becomes necessai"y as the calf grows older. 



" In the summer time the best combination to furnish the proper balance is a 

 good pasture (bluegrass is preferred for pasture, because it is flrm and contains 

 a large pei'centage of nutrients) and shelled corn or a little oats, if they are 

 cheap enough. Occasionally a little cotton-seed meal, gluten meal, linseed 

 meal, or bran may help to balance the ration and tend to stimulate the 

 appetite. . . , 



" Some of the most successful feeders of baby beef have used silage (from 

 15 to 25 lbs. daily) with good results in a ration consisting of about 3 lbs. corn 

 meal, 2 lbs. wheat bran, and plenty of clover hay. In such a ration the silage 

 will add the succulence, but if silage is not available a small ciuantity of roots 

 will answer the same purpose. . . . 



" Of all the fodders good clover and alfalfa hay have no equal, as they will 

 supply the protein or muscle-making properties that must otherwise be supplied 

 in the form of nitrogenous commercial products, which generally prove very 

 expensive. If the roughness consists largely of such feeds as corn fodder, oat 

 hay, timothy hay, or prairie hay, then some nitrogenous concentrate should be 

 added to give the proper balance. 



" Under present conditions the mai'ket does not discriminate between steers 

 and heifers for baby beef, as the latter sell for equally high prices as the steers, 

 provided they are equally well finished. 



" Some of the principal advantages derived from the production of baby beef 

 as compared with older beef are (1) the quick returns on the investment, (2) 

 the greater demand for the product, and (3) the greater amount of meat pro- 

 duced per pound of feed consumed. 



" In feeding baby beef the profit comes in within two years after birth of the 

 calf. In case, also, of the loss of an animal this would be considerably smaller 

 in a young animal, because the latter represents a smaller Inilk and has. more- 

 over, been produced at less cost per jjound of live weight. On the other hand, 

 the lighter the animals are marketed the more breeding stock is necessary to 

 liroduce an ecpial amount of marketable beef. The extra cost of keei)ing this 

 additional number of breeding stock, however, is. offset by doing away with the 



