LECTURE XXXIV. 



FEEDING STEERS IN THE DRY LOT. (Continued.) 



Having taken up in the previous lecture the general 

 points affecting dry lot feeding, we have next to deal with 

 actual feeding considerations. Long and short feeds, feed- 

 ing with and without hogs, getting cattle on feed, grains to 

 use, roughage best adapted to fattening steers, light, medium 

 and heavy rations, and the use of supplemental feeds, must 

 all be considered. 



Long feeds are to be preferred where the cattle being 

 fed are comparatively young, the markets steady or rising 

 slightly, and where feed is low or medium in price. Under 

 such conditions the greatest possible gains are desired, and 

 these can best be secured on the 120 or 150 day feeds. 



Short fed cattle make most money to the feeder when 

 grain is high in price, and when the margin between the 

 buying and selling price of cattle is narrow. Under such 

 conditions mature steers in thin condition can be crowded 

 at a phenomenal rate for 50 or 90 days, and while the cost 

 of gain will usually be as great or greater than in the case 

 of the long fed cattle, the investment is turned sooner, with 

 less risk at a time when markets are variable. 



In feeding grain of any kind, more or less passes undi- 

 gested through the steers, and this waste is increased when 

 the cattle are on heavy feed. 



Where good, thrifty shoats are allowed to run with the 

 steers, this waste is reduced to a minimum, for the hogs will 

 gather all waste that is to be found in the droppings. It 

 often happens, however, that cholera or swine plague de- 

 stroys the hogs, or renders them a very risky business prop- 

 osition, and in such cases the problem is to make the steer 

 utilize the feed so perfectly that little or no waste will be 

 left in the droppings. This is done by grinding the grain 

 fed, and the results of numerous experiments show that a 

 saving of about 12% is effected by grinding. Where hogs are 

 procurable, however, it is usually inadvisable to go to the 



