COUNSEL IN THE FEED LOT 533 



fall. Since they are used to grain, they will suffer no setback when 

 weaned, but go on making good gains. 



When western range calves are bought on the market to be fattened 

 for baby beef, they will not usually carry as much fat as home-raised 

 calves. However, if they are thrifty, well-bred, and of good quality, they 

 can be fattened satisfactorily for baby beef by feeding them good rations, 

 tho they will not be ready for market at as early an age as calves fed 

 liberally at all times. 



After the pasture season the calves should be fed palatable, nutritious 

 roughage, such as silage and legume hay. Unless grain is unusually high 

 in price in comparison with other feeds, they should be fed a liberal 

 allowance of corn or other grain, in order to keep them gaining rapidly. 

 If pigs follow the calves, there is no advantage in grinding the corn, and 

 it should be fed as shelled corn or broken ear corn. Calves need a 

 larger proportion of protein than older cattle, and therefore a protein- 

 rich supplement like linseed or cottonseed meal should always be added 

 to balance the ration. The amounts of feed consumed by calves fattened 

 for baby beef and the gains made are shown in a previous chapter. (712) 

 It is there pointed out that calves make much cheaper gains than older 

 cattle, which makes their fattening very economical under corn-belt 

 conditions. 



Calves must usually be fed for 8 to 12 months after weaning to reach 

 the necessary finish, while 2-year-old steers can be fattened in 3 to 6 

 months, depending on the degree of flesh they carry when placed on 

 feed. Heifer calves mature more quickly and may be marketed earlier 

 than steers. It is seldom possible or profitable to get spring calves ready 

 for the baby beef market before July of the following year; more fre- 

 quently they are not marketed until October, November, or December 

 when approximately 18 to 20 months old. When the baby beeves are to 

 be marketed in summer, quite commonly they are continued in the dry 

 lot until they are sold. If they are turned to pasture, the gains may be 

 much less rapid and more costly than when they are kept on the same 

 rations they were fed in winter. 



When corn is high in price compared with other feeds it may be most 

 profitable to feed the calves chiefly on good roughage for the first part 

 of the feeding period and then finish them on a liberal allowance of the 

 grain. In 2 trials at the Kansas Station 18 Me Campbell and Winchester 

 fattened calves for baby beef on a ration of only cane silage, alfalfa 

 hay, and a little cottonseed and linseed meal, for the first 4 months and 

 then during the last 3 months full fed them on shelled corn in addition. 

 On this ration an average daily gain of 1.78 Ibs. was secured. Other 

 steers fattened similarly, except that they were full fed on corn thruout 

 the entire fattening period, gained 2.08 Ibs. a head daily, and sold for 50 

 cents more per cwt. With corn high in price, it was more profitable to 

 feed no shelled corn the first part of the fattening period. However, with 



18 Kan. Cirs. 86, 92. 



