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feeders are preferred because they can be returned to market in a 

 shorter time, thus allowing the corn grower to put in cattle in the 

 fall of the year, after the busy crop season is over, feed them dur- 

 ing the winter months and return them to market before spring 

 work demands all of his time. 



BABY BEEF. 



Question 22 was asked in order to obtain information in regard 

 to the extent of the production of "baby" or yearling beef. A 

 summary of all answers given indicates that 25 per cent of the men 

 reporting were at that time engaged in producing yearling beef 

 and 75 per cent in feeding older cattle. The feeder who buys calves 

 with the intention of making yearling beef, must of necessity de- 

 mand more quality, better breeding and expect to feed them on a 

 better quality of feed than is necessary in handling older cattle. 

 It takes from 8 to 10 months to make them fat enough to sell well, 

 and the profits depend upon the cheapness of gains. This method 

 should appeal especially to the man who is raising calves and finish- 

 ing them as he would market them at 15 to 18 months of age, and 

 if of proper breeding and sufficiently finished, would usually secure 

 nearly as high a price per pound as for older cattle. The feeder 

 who intends to produce ''baby " or yearling beef, requires that the 

 calves be carrying their milk fat when started on feed, as it is im- 

 possible to fatten a calf as a yearling, which has lost the calf fat 

 before started on a full feed of grain. Stating it differently, it is 

 absolutely necessary that typical, blocky beef calves carrying their 

 milk fat, be used if any profit is to result in the production of year- 

 ling beef. 



PREPARATION OF FEEDS. 



The question of whether or not it is profitable to put a large 

 amount of labor on corn to increase the feeding value, is one that is 

 very largely disputed. There were 73 per cent of the feeders who 

 reported the use of broken ear corn, which is about the simplest 

 form in which it can be fed; the next in rank of popularity was 

 feeding shock corn which is used by 46 per cent of the feeders; the 

 next is snapped corn used by 35 per cent; corn and cob meal seems 

 to be next in favor with 27 per cent using it; shelled corn is used by 

 21 per cent. Other methods of preparation such as soaking or 

 grinding are not very extensively used. About 4 per cent of all 

 who answered this question are soaking their corn and 4 per cent 

 are feeding it in the form of corn meal. This would seem to indi- 

 cate that the most profitable method is to feed it as broken ear or 



