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ciate the cost of production when full feeding or else the cattle are 

 marketed before they are finished. The latter assumption is prob- 

 ably correct as indicated in the replies to question 71. 



COST OF PRODUCING FEEDERS. 



The cost of a calf at weaning time (5.1 months of age as shown 

 in question 20) taking an average of all answers, is $12.82; at 

 12 months of age, $20.62 and at 2 years of age,$32.76. This would 

 indicate that under the average conditions a cow could be kept for 

 $1.08 per month while raising her calf to weaning time, which would 

 presuppose that she was either fed on very cheap feeds or if fed 

 grain, that she would have to be milked at least a part of the time 

 to offset this additional expenditure. From weaning time until the 

 calf is one year old, it would cost 98.7 cents per month and from 1 

 to 2 years old, $1.01 per month. Using these figures as a basis, 

 the conclusion may be drawn that a more expensive ration is fed the 

 calf from weaning time until one year old than from 1 to 2 

 years old. On the basis of these estimates it would seem that the 

 production of feeders would be a profitable business, as feeders for 

 several years have sold for more than these reports would indicate 

 the cost of production to be. However, it is doubtful whether these 

 estimates should be taken as a guide. 



FEEDING BEEF CATTLE MAINTAINS SOIL FERTILITY. 



The question of maintaining soil fertility is one that concerns 

 every farmer in the state- As shown by analyses of feeds used in 

 experimental feed lots * frequently a farm crop contains plant food 

 in the form of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, which if re- 

 placed in the form of commercial fertilizers, would actually cost 

 more than the average selling value of the particular crop. This is 

 especially true of rough feeds such as clover, shredded stover and 

 wheat and oat straw. 



If these same crops are fed to beef cattle, less than 10 per 

 cent of this plant food is sold when the animal goes to market. The 

 extensive cattle feeder usually buys a sufficient amount of plant 

 food in the form of bran, cotton seed meal or linseed meal to replace 

 thio 10 per cent, hence, is in reality not decreasing but is continu- 

 ally increasing the total amount of plant food on the farm. Another 

 feature in the upbuilding of soil is the supply of humus which should 

 not be ignored as it is of vegetable origin and cannot be purchased 

 on the market; the live stock feeder is continually adding to the sup- 



* See Purdue Experiment Station Bulletin No 115, on "Steer Feeding", p. 316. 



