FEEDING BEEF CATTLE 



ing the stover or the silage. In addition to this 

 some of the legumes should be fed. It is a poor sys- 

 tem of farming that will not admit clover, cowpeas 

 and soy beans, even though alfalfa has not been 

 successfully grown 



The roughage materials successfully grown in a 

 community are satisfactory basic foods for growing 

 beef. The art will rest with their employment in 

 feeding rations in connection with other balancing 

 foods to give the right balance. Cattle should not 

 simply have thrown before them such foods as are 

 at hand. These foods should be so prepared and 

 balanced as to provide the necessary food nutrients 

 in the proper proportion that cattle of the specific 

 age shall demand. 



Leading Grain Foods. Corn is first in the list of 

 grain products. It is fed in many forms ground, 

 shelled, on the ear, crushed with the cob, in the 

 shuck, and green on the stalk. So universally is it 

 grown and so readily adapted is it to practically all 

 sections that it will continue to be the chief grain 

 provided in most rations for feeding steers for beef. 

 It carries much starch and oil, and is therefore 

 largely a fattening food. It stands high nevertheless 

 as a growing or developing food, but being some- 

 what lacking in protein, it is not and should not 

 be considered an exclusive grain for growing ani- 

 mals. 



Fortunately there is a wide choice of supplemen- 

 tary concentrates to use in connection with corn. 

 Chief among these for steers are, cottonseed meal, 

 linseed oil meal, soy bean meal, wheat bran, the 



