FEEDING BEEF CATTLE 273 



and one-half per steer on husked corn, about one per steer on 

 shelled corn,, and one pig per two or three steers on crushed or 

 ground corn. Pigs following steers should be of good bone, in thin 

 flesh, and of medium weight, viz., about 100 pounds; shoats put 

 with steers may be lighter, viz., 50 to 60 pounds. When the pigs 

 are nearly matured or fattened they should be replaced by a new 

 set of pigs, as fat pigs are unprofitable for following steers. 



The gains made by hogs following steers will vary according to 

 the conditions of the feeding. It may be assumed that when a 

 steer is fed about 18 pounds of shelled corn a day, about three- 

 fourths of a pound of pork may be obtained; if ear corn is fed, 

 greater gains will be made, while if corn meal or cotton-seed meal is 

 fed, only a very small amount of pork will be produced, as the steers 

 are able to fully digest the grain when finely ground. 21 



On account of the narrow margin in fattening steers and the 

 expense of grain feeding it may happen, under unfavorable market 

 conditions, that no profit is made on the steers, but the pigs follow- 

 ing them, which have eaten a relatively small amount- of extra 

 grain, can, as a rule, be depended upon to bring a profit, and they 

 often save the feeding operation from being a losing proposition. 



Feeding Range Cattle. Time was when cattle raised on 

 western plains and mountain ranges were kept until four or five 

 years old before they were fattened, but the large majority of range 

 cattle now are sold as two to three years old, and are fattened for a 

 period, varying in different sections of the country, from 60 to 

 180 days. The method of feeding depends on the condition and 

 demand of the market for which they are intended. In the corn 

 belt, where a large proportion of the range steers are fattened, the 

 common practice is to feed snapped corn (ears with the husk) as 

 the only grain feed at the beginning of the fattening period, giving 

 clover or alfalfa hay as supplementary feed ; after six or eight weeks, 

 ear corn with some cob meal is gradually substituted for the snapped 

 corn, and the corn is increased slowly until the steers are on full 

 feed. They will then eat 20 to 25 pounds per head daily. If no 

 legume hay is available, a couple pounds per head daily of some 

 protein feed is fed with the grain, as wheat bran, linseed meal, 

 cotton-seed cake, or gluten feed. Steers on full feed eat but little 

 hay, viz., less than 10 pounds daily. 



Cattle in the western States are generally fattened as three- or 

 four-year-olds on alfalfa alone. Immense numbers of steers raised 



21 Farmers' Bulletin 588. 

 18 



