208 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



XXIX. FATTENING OP CATTLE. 



(a) Baby Beef Production. 



"Baby beef " refers to cattle which are sold fat at 

 an age of fourteen to twenty-two months, and a live 

 weight of approximately 7 to 9 cwts., 56 to 60 per cent, 

 of which would be carcass. Literally speaking, the 

 carcass is the "baby beef," and it is noted for being 

 very juicy, tender, and of excellent flavour. The 

 proportion of lean meat to fat is also comparatively 

 high, and, on account of its juicy qualities, is more 

 acceptable to the public palate, consequently a higher 

 price can be realised for it, and, what is of further 

 importance from the business point of view, the increase 

 can be produced at a lower cost than with animals two 

 years old or upwards. In other words, I cwt of 

 increase in live weight can be obtained with less food 

 in the former case than in the latter. 



For baby beef the calf is liberally fed from birth 

 onwards, concentrated foods being used as far as is 

 necessary in addition to milk while the cow is suckling 

 the calf. After weaning, the cake is gradually increased 

 with the age of the calf until it is fat. 



The calves may be either bred or bought for this 

 purpose, and reared on one of the following systems : 



i. First cross heifers. Hereford x Dairy Short- 

 horn, Red Poll x Dairy Shorthorn, Aberdeen-Angus 

 X Dairy Shorthorn, Aberdeen-Angus x Ayrshire, or 

 Galloway x Ayrshire may be purchased and mated 

 with, say, a Shorthorn of the beef type. The calf 

 obtained has very much in common with a first cross 

 from two beef breeds, and in addition has the advantage 

 of being suckled by a cow which is a good milker, 



