lit) 



CANADIAN FARM YEAR BOOK. 



Men wlio feed cattle for a long period 

 i^hould he rewarded toy a correspond- 

 iuig increase in tlie price received per 

 100 libs. 



The Feeding Period. 



The period between the time the 

 steer is put into the feed quarters and 

 the time he is ready for market con- 

 stitutes the feeding period. The short 

 feed period lasts from sixty to ninety 

 days. The long feed period averages 

 one hundred and eight days or six 

 months, sometimes more and some- 

 times less. Cattle are on full feed 

 when they are taking grain and rough- 

 age to their full capacity. The per- 

 iod of feeding previous to the full ra- 

 tion is called ihe "warming up" period, 

 and lasts from two to six weeks de- 

 pending on whether the cattle have 

 been accustomed to grairt Since this 

 is a filling up process, cattle get on 

 full feed somewhat more rapidly when 

 fed on a ration made up largely of 

 roughage and not much grain. Too 

 onuch grain is injurious at the begin- 

 ning. 



A larger proportion of animals are 

 short fed ibeoause the working margin 

 is narrower and the markets do not 

 show enough difference in pnice for 

 the degree of finish put upon the cat- 

 tle to warrant a longer period. Cheap- 

 er and larger daily gains can be made 

 during the short period than during 

 the long period, because, since the ra- 

 tion can be made heavier and the 

 steer forced more rapidly he will not 

 waste so much of the ration. 



In Favor of Good Feeders. 



The good feeder is the only one that 

 should be permitted in the feed stall 

 or lot, and if the making of prime beef 

 is the end desired there is no exception 

 to this rule. However, always work 

 for profit and not for looks. In other 

 words it is sometimes better and 

 more profitable to fatten thin stockers 

 up to the butcher's class than it is to 

 endeavor to run select feeders up to 

 the prime beef class. 



In conclusion let me say, that every 

 farmer who feeds cattle for the mar- 

 ket should take some reliable paper, 

 either daily or weekly, with a reliable 

 market report and keep himself posted 

 on the market. He should know what 

 type of cattle he has, and in what class 

 they ibelong, and also at what time of 

 the year they are in greatest demand. 



ALFALFA HAY FOR HOGS. 



A trial in feeding hogs on alfalfa 

 hay was carried on at the North Dakota 

 Experimental Station by W. H. Peters, 

 Animal Husibandman. The alfalfa hay 

 was cut into half-inch lengths and was 

 fed both dry and steamed. The hogs 

 were also fed a grain ration of barley 

 aborts and tankage. One lot was fed 

 only the grain feed, while with other 

 lots the grain ration was reduced and 

 alfalfa supplied in its place, the aim 

 being to make the alfalfa-fed hogs to 

 the alfalfa was 50c per 100 pounds 

 young pigs the saving in cost due to 

 the alfalfa was 50c per 100 pounds 

 gain on the dry alfalfa, and 40c wnen 

 the alfalfa was steamed. With the 

 fattening hogs, the saving was |1.70 

 per 100 pounds gain for lot fed the 

 dry alfalfa, and $2.70 When steamed. 



(Brood sows were also fed alfalfa 

 hay. When the alfalfa was fed the 

 grain ration (barley and oats) could 

 be reduced one-third to one-fourth, 

 and the sows did well on it. No dif- 

 ference was noticeable between their 

 litters and those from the sows fed all 

 grain. 



The growing pigs were fed one-fifth 

 to one^sixth as much alfalfa as^ grain, 

 this being the amount that they would 

 readily eat and keep making as good 

 gains as the all-grain lot. 



Of the dry alfalfa the fattening hogs 

 eat one-seventh as much as of grain 

 ration, and of the steamed alfalfa one- 

 sixth as much. The hogs did not eat 

 as large a proportion of the alfalfa as 

 was expected. It, however, reduced 

 the cost of making the gains so that 

 it was well worth while. The price 

 put on the feeds was one cent, per 

 pound for the grains, two cents for 

 tankage, and the alfalfa $10 per ton. 



The observauions of the trial indi- 

 cate: First, that in order to get hogs 

 started to eating alfalfa hay in win- 

 ter it is necessary to limit the grain 

 to such an extent that the hogs must 

 eat hay or go hungry. Second, that, 

 when handled in this way, they will 

 very readily take to the hay and a limit- 

 ed amount of hay can be fed very satis- 

 factorily, securing just as good results, 

 just as good gains, and at less cost 

 than where grain alone is fed. Third, 

 that the greatest advantage to he gain- 

 ed in feeding hay in the winter is the 

 saving of grain and lowering of the 

 cost of feeding; 



