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INTRODUCTION. 



Beef production is one of the greatest industries in Indiana. 

 Careful estimates show about $25,000,000 invested in cattle, land and 

 equipment devoted to this business. In recent years the rapid in- 

 crease in land values, the high price of all kinds of feed, and the 

 comparatively low price of fat cattle have made many farmers ques- 

 tion whether or not feeding cattle can be made profitable. The busi- 

 ness of cattle feeding is becoming more and more complicated and 

 involves many important questions, such as buying or growing "feed- 

 ers," methods of feeding, marketing, etc., which are not readily 

 answered under average farm conditions. Cattle feeders, as a rule, 

 do not keep careful records of their feeding operations and, conse- 

 quently, but little definite information is available as to profits or 

 losses from cattle feeding. 



Recognizing the importance of careful investigation along these 

 lines the Indiana Livestock Breeders' Association in co-operation 

 with similar state organizations presented the matter to the Indiana 

 State Legislature in 1904. The result of this movement was an 

 annual appropriation of $5,000 made to the Experiment Station for 

 live stock investigation, especially with beef cattle. This has made 

 it possible for the Animal Husbandry Department to begin a series 

 of cattle feeding experiments with a view of securing information 

 that should make the business more profitable to feeders. 



The first of these experiments conducted during the winter of 

 1905-06 is reported in this bulletin. It should be clearly under- 

 stood, however, that this is a report of progress, that is of a single 

 test, the results of which should be taken as indicative of what may 

 be expected under similar methods and conditions rather than con- 

 clusive. 



The profits from cattle feeding do not depend on the price of 

 land. Land values are based largely upon production, distance from 

 markets and the available shipping facilities. If it is profitable to 

 grow corn, oats and clover on $100 land, the only question left to the 

 farmer is whether he can market these crops by feeding them to cat- 

 tle, at a price equal to their market value at the elevator. This ap- 

 plies to the land owner who has corn and a large amount of cheap 

 roughage to dispose of, and not to the man who buys both cattle and 

 feed, expecting to make his profit from the transaction, without giv- 

 ing any consideration to the value of the manure. The fertility of 

 the soil cannot be ignored. The progressive man will make profita- 

 ble use of the manure from his cattle. We hold the view that it is 

 not more expensive, under ordinary conditions, to feed the crop to 

 cattle than to market it, hence the feeder has made a profit equal to 

 the manurial value of the feeds used, if at the close of the feeding 



