FEEDING AND CARE OF BEEF CATTLE 303 



nitrogenous concentrates should balance the ration. The majority 

 of beef producers prefer to have calves dropped in the spring, as the 

 cows may then be wintered more cheaply, with less shelter and less 

 care. 



Veal production. — For the highest grade of veal whole milk is 

 essential, and growth must be as rapid as possible, the whole process 

 being completed before there is any tendency in the flesh to take 

 on the coarser character of beef. Such veal commands a high price 

 in some of the European markets, and the butchers are extremely 

 expert in judging whether the calf has received any other feed than 

 whole milk. In this country such veal can be profitably produced 

 only for special markets. A less expensive method is to feed a limited 

 amount of whole milk supplemented by grain, or skim milk may be 

 gradually substituted, as with dairy calves. With the latter method, 

 considerable skill is necessary to feed the calves so they will gain 

 rapidly without going off feed. 



Growing- beef cattle. — Except where calves are being fattened for 

 baby beef, growing beef cattle are not ordinarily given any feed in 

 addition to good pasture, unless the pasture becomes short. Then 

 summer silage, soiling crops, or specially grown annual pasture crops 

 may be supplied. Considerable fall pasturage is furnished by after- 

 math on meadows or by the stubble fields, especially where rape seed 

 is sown with the spring grain. 



The ration needed to carry growing cattle thru the winter in good 

 condition will depend on their age, and on whether it is desired to 

 have them make substantial gains or merely come thru the winter 

 in thrifty enough condition to make maximum gains on pasture the 

 following summer. While yearlings and 2-year-olds may be win- 

 tered on good roughages only, for calves 1 to 3 lbs. of concentrates 

 per head daily is needed in addition, for it is important to keep the 

 calf growing steadily. Calves do not thrive on such coarse rough- 

 age as may be fed to older cattle. At the North Platte, Nebraska, 

 Substation,^^ beef calves were wintered satisfactorily on 2 lbs. of 

 corn and oats with alfalfa hay or half alfalfa and half prairie or sor- 

 ghum hay. Poorer results were secured with prairie or sorghum hay 

 and the same amount of grain. At the Kansas Station,^* beef calves 

 made good growth in winter on silage from corn, kafir, or sweet sor- 

 ghum, and 1 lb. of cottonseed or linseed meal per head daily. The 

 second winter, if the cattle are not to be fattened on grass the fol- 

 lowing summer, the aim should be to grow as large a framework as 

 possible, but not to fatten, for cattle that are lean but thrifty in the 

 spring make larger gains on summer pasture than do fleshy ones. 



"Snyder, Nebr. Buls. 105, 117. h Cochel, information to the authors. 



