GENERAL PROBLEMS IN BEEF PRODUCTION 459 



gains and as good a finish. Consequently the profit is greater than where 

 a limited amount of corn is fed over the entire period. 



717. Self -feeding steers Tho self-feeders are not commonly used in 

 fattening steers, they may be used successfully when it is desired to 

 feed them all the concentrates they will consume. Manifestly a self- 

 feeder should not be used when it is desired to limit the grain allowance. 

 As the hopper which holds the grain may be of considerable capacity, it 

 requires less labor to keep it filled than to feed the grain by hand 

 twice a day. Unless chopped or ground hay is mixed with the grain, 

 steers unaccustomed to grain feeding can not be fed by means of a self- 

 feeder until they have been brought to full feed, and then the change 

 must be made with care, or some animals will overeat and "founder." 

 The grain in the self-feeder should be protected from rain and snow and 

 care is necessary to avoid clogging, as an abundance of feed must be 

 available at all times. 



In a trial by Mumford and Allison at the Illinois Station 13 one lot of 

 steers was fed whole clover hay and a concentrate mixture of 7 parts 

 ground corn and 1 part linseed meal separately at regular feeding periods 

 twice daily, while another was supplied chopped hay mixed with the con- 

 centrates, the whole being fed in a self-feeder to which the cattle had 

 access at all times. The self -fed steers consumed a heavier concentrate 

 allowance and were brought to full feed in a shorter time without any set 

 back from over-eating. Tho consuming more feed, this was more than 

 offset by their larger gains. Even after adding the cost of chopping the 

 hay, the self -fed steers made the cheaper gains. Both systems required 

 about the same amount of labor, but by the use of the self-feeder the 

 necessity for a man skilled in feeding was reduced. 



Self -feeding was also compared with hand feeding in 2 trials by Pew, 

 Evvard, and Dunn at the Iowa Station 14 from 1915 to 1917. Each year 

 2 lots of 2-year-old steers were fattened on shelled corn, linseed meal, 

 corn silage, and alfalfa hay, one lot being fed the corn in a self-feeder 

 after the first 40 to 50 days and the other by hand thruout the trial. The 

 self -fed steers made slightly larger gains and returned the most profit 

 over cost of feed. Had corn been high in price compared with other 

 feeds, the self -fed lots would probably have returned the smaller profit. 



II. VALUE OP BREED IN BEEF MAKING 



Everyone with experience in the cattle business knows that " blood 

 tells" in beef production. As the following paragraphs show, compared 

 with scrubs well-bred beef steers (1) make more rapid gains than scrub 

 steers, (2) mature earlier, (3) furnish a higher percentage of dressed 

 carcass, (4) produce a greater proportion of more valuable cuts of meat, 

 (5) have less internal fat, and (6) yield a carcass having a higher 

 quality of meat. 



"111. Bui. 142. "Iowa Bui. 182. 



