140 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



temperament. Remember that all steers are not alike, and that a good 

 ration for one may not be sufficient for another. The calf should be 

 taught to eat grain as soon as old enough. A mixture of equal parts of 

 whole corn and oats, with a light sprinkling of oil meal, makes a splen- 

 did feed for the youngster. If in winter, feed alfalfa or clover hay with 

 the above mentioned grain ration. Presuming that these calves are to 

 be shown as yearlings, I will now deal with them at weaning time, which 

 should be about December 1st, or before, until the following December, 

 when they will land at the International at Chicago. I prefer feeding a 

 two-year-old for exhibition, as an expert feeder can produce that uni- 

 formity of ripeness and perfect finish which is almost an impossibility 

 in a load of yearlings. 



My reason for selecting for rny illustration a load of yearlings is 

 that modern demand indicates a great change in markets, and ca-„tle 

 feeders and fitters must of necessity conform with modern require- 

 ments. We have made a thorough test, putting before the judges (men 

 of national reputation) two as good loads of fancy Angus beeves as our 

 money, judgment and brains could produce. The one was a load of 

 two-year-olds, weighing close up to 1,500 pounds each; the other was a 

 load of yearlings, equally as good, but smaller, weighing 1,200' pounds 

 each. And what was their verdict? The handy-weights received the 

 championship honors over the older brothers. 



During the winter, avoid close stabling, open sheds to the south be 

 ing preferred. Keep well bedded, as comfortable winter quarters in- 

 sures contentment, and contentment is a prime factor necessary to in- 

 sure good gains. Avoid the use of stale grains or musty roughness, for 

 such feeds never stimulate an appetite. Change your ration and mix 

 your feeds so they are palatable. Remember that a ration becomes less 

 palatable if limited to few feeds. No matter how carefully a balanced 

 ration may be fed, it will not prove an economical one unless supplied 

 in sufficient quantity to meet the requirements of the animal. 



There is a possibility of under-feeding an animal as well as over- 

 feeding, for best results. In the early period of your feeding, avoid 

 over-feeding of carbohydrates, but rather, feed stronger with protein 

 feeds, as this will tend to marble your carcass, and the steer when fin- 

 ished will be void of that patchiness which the butcher has learned to 

 despise. 



Over-feeding will, without fail produce roughness, and the steer will 

 arrive at the stage of full bloom long before the feeding period is com- 

 pleted. The products of the farm are about all that is necessary to 

 make up the bulk of your feeds. Oats is a splendid feed, but if too 

 high in price, feed three parts of corn to one part of bran, with a fair 

 allowance of oil meal. If feeding oats, corn and bran, feed two parts 

 corn to one part oats and one part bi'an, by measure and not by weight. 

 Change your feeds from time to time, feeding cottonseed meal, oil meal 

 or some molasses feed to stimulate an appetite. 



Do not deprive your steers of exercise for best results, as health 

 and vigor are promoted where animals are allowed to move about. Dur- 

 the winter seasons, they should have ample yardage to move about. 



