MEAT PRODUCTION 385 



be considerably less than 4 cents per pound, lor, if grown 

 on the range, he would be grown virtually on free pasture. 

 If grown under extensive farm conditions he would be 

 grown largely on cheap pastures. If grown under more 

 intensive conditions he would be grown largely on coarse 

 and cheap foods. 



Duration of the finishing period. Since, during the 

 finishing period, the cost of increase made during its con- 

 tinuance seldom equals in value the cost of the food used in 

 making it, the time covered by this period becomes a 

 question of prime importance to the feeder. Its profitable 

 duration will be influenced by such considerations as : ( I ) 

 The condition as to flesh of the animals when the feeding 

 period begins; (2) the character of the food fed; (3) the 

 intensity of the feeding; (4) the relative cost of the food; 



(5) the season of the year when the finishing occurs, and 



(6) capacity in the animals for making high finish. 



If animals are in a low condition of flesh when the 

 feeding period begins, it is manifest that a proportionately 

 longer period must elapse before they can be profitably 

 sent to the block, than if they were in good flesh at 

 the same time. Animals low in flesh when fatten- 

 ing begins cannot be brought to a high degree of 

 finish in a short time. The digestive powers can adjust 

 themselves only giadually to the changed conditions of 

 feeding, and the same is true of the assimilative powers. 

 This is shown in the fact that animals will digest and ap- 

 propriate much larger quantities of concentrated food 

 without injury when on what is termed "full feed," than 

 when the feeding period begins (see p. 377). In some 

 instances, as in making baby beef sold under the age of two 

 years, the feeding has been of such a high character all 

 along, that the transition to what may be termed the finish- 

 ing period is scarcely discernible through any increase in 

 feed (see p. 402). 



Some kinds of food bring to a finish much more quickly 

 than others, because of their constituents. Corn will fatten 



