General Problems in Beef Production. 



323 



for the same period, the older animals will reach a higher finish, and 

 therefore usually sell for a higher price than the less highly finished 

 calves or yearlings. Older steers also fatten more uniformly and re- 

 quire less careful attention. Waters concludes: "It may be ac- 

 cepted as final that so long as the professional feeder can buy the 

 older cattle with sufficient margin to fully overcome the increased 

 cost of gains made in his feed yard, he will consider it to his ad- 

 vantage to feed them in preference to younger animals." (579) 



That the daily rate of gain with cattle on full feed is directly af- 

 fected by the age of the animal is illustrated by the records of the 

 fat-stock shows. Some of the results obtained in England are shown 

 in the following table: 



Age and weight of steers slaughtered at the Smithfield (England) Fat- 

 Stock Show, 1888-95. * 



506. Gains of steers and hogs following. At the Indiana Sta- 

 tion 2 during each of 2 winters, Skinner and Cochel fed for a period 

 of 180 days 3 lots of steers, one of 20 calves, a second of 10 year- 

 lings, and another of 10 two-yr.-olds as shown on the next page. 



1 Reported annually in the Live Stock Journal and Agricultural Gazette, London 

 a Bui. 129. 



