282 



PART I. 

 SHORT VS. LONG FEEDING. 



The increase in land values and the high market prices offered 

 for corn, roughage and commercial feeds during the past 10 years, 

 have resulted in many changes in the methods of beef production in 

 the corn belt. Most marked, possibly, have been the changes in the 

 length of the feeding period. There has been a growing tendency 

 to shorten the feeding period, which has resulted in two distinct 

 methods of feeding; one involving the purchase of mature, fleshy 

 feeding cattle, usually three years old and giving them a heavy grain 

 feed for a short period ; the other involving the purchase of younger, 

 lighter or thinner cattle and feeding them through a longer period. 

 The first method gives rise to the term "Short-Fed Cattle" and neces- 

 sitates a larger use of grain in proportion to roughage ; the second 

 method gives rise to the term "Long-Fed Cattle," and permits the 

 use of a greater amount of roughage in proportion to grain. 



"Short Feeding" as used in this bulletin, means the feeding 

 of heavy, fleshy cattle weighing from 1175 to I 3 pounds, which 

 are placed on full feed of grain as quickly as possible, with a limited 

 amount of roughage and fed to a marketable finish in 90 to 1 10 days. 

 This does not mean that the cattle were marketed in a half fat con- 

 dition. "Long Feeding" as here used, means the use of steers weigh- 

 ing from 1000 to 1150 pounds, thinner than the "Short-Fed" cattle, 

 fed to a marketable finish in 180 days. The steers were allowed all 

 the roughage they would consume without waste and a greater 

 length of time was utilized in getting them to a full feed. 



F'or several years farmers have been anxious to obtain informa- 

 tion as to the possibilities of utilizing a shorter feeding period, and 

 the agricultural press has tried to obtain articles dealing with this 

 subject with very limited success. The International Live Stock Ex- 

 position management recognized the importance and interest in this 

 matter, and offered liberal premiums for the first time, in 1907, for a 

 "Short-Fed Special" contest in which a load of two year old Here- 

 ford steers, fed and exhibited by this Station won the championship. 



PURPOSE OF BULLETIN. 



The object of this bulletin is to present the information se- 

 cured at the Station during the past two years, as to the rate and 

 cost of gain, feed consumed, degree of finish attained and profit 

 secured from feeding cattle through a "short" and "long" feeding 



