FEEDING AND CARE OP BEEF CATTLE 305 



pasture. In summer the grain only is drawn; it is usually fed but 

 once a day; there is no roughage to handle; and the manure is dis- 

 tributed by the cattle themselves.^^ 



Feeding concentrates on pasture. — Cattle being finished on pas- 

 ture may be fed no concentrates at all, a small allowance may be 

 given during the entire pasture period, concentrates may be fed 

 during only the last few weeks, or, finally, an unlimited allowance of 

 grain may be given thruout the entire period. Except under range 

 conditions and in certain districts, as in the bluegrass region of Vir- 

 ginia, where the grasses are unusually nutritious, it will usually pay 

 to feed some grain in addition to pasture. The cheap gains made on 

 grass alone are usually offset by the low selling value of such cattle, 

 because they are usually not well finished. When grain has been fed 

 to cattle during the winter, it should be continued after turning to 

 pasture until they become accustomed to grass, otherwise they may 

 shrink in weight. If cattle are nearly finished when the pasture sea- 

 son opens, they had best be finished in the dry lot, for if turned to 

 pasture they usually make poor gains. 



Since immature grass, such as is usually eaten by grazing animals, 

 is much richer in protein than grass at the stage when cut for hay, 

 corn and bluegrass pasture alone make a fairly well-balanced ration 

 for the fattening steer. Experiments at the Missouri Station ^^ show, 

 however, that it is usually advisable to add some protein-rich sup- 

 plement during the last of the feeding period to keep the steers from 

 going off feed and making smaller gains. 



Baby beef. — The most intensive method of beef production is fat- 

 tening calves for baby beef. Under this system beef -bred calves are 

 fattened as they grow, reaching a good finish when 16 to 18 months 

 old and weighing about 1,100 lbs. or less. In the production of 

 baby beef, first of all, blocky calves of good beef type and conforma- 

 tion must be selected, for scrub or dairy-bred calves will not usually 

 reach the desired maturity and finish at this early age. Profitable 

 baby beef production requires a high degree of experience, judgment, 

 and skill and it is a mistake for the inexperienced to dip heavily into 

 this art. Calves for baby beef should be fattened as they grow, never 

 being allowed to lose their "calf fat." In winter roughage of high 

 quality, such as clover or alfalfa hay and silage, should be supplied 

 and during summer the calves should be on good pasture. Shelled, 

 crushed, or ground corn should be fed, together with linseed meal, 

 cottonseed meal, or other protein-rich concentrates. When whole 

 corn is given, hogs may profitably follow. Oats are one of the best 

 of feeds with which to start the calf on its way to fattening. In 



18 Waters, Mo. Cir. 24. is Mumford, Mo. Bui. 90. 



