It is believed that to make growth at the natural or 

 proper time, that is, when the animal is young, and when 

 the tendencies of the entire organism are to convert food 

 into growth, and when it may be made with the least ex- 

 pense of food, room, labor and investment', will be highly 

 advantageous as compared with so feeding the animal as to 

 restrict the growth at this age and depend upon making up 

 this deficiency by liberal feeding later. 



In fact, it is believed that from birth until the steer 

 goes to grass at the age of twelve months, there should be 

 sufficient food of a palatable and nutritious character to 

 supply the requirements of the maximum growth of which 

 each individual is capable, without laying on any considerable 

 quantity of fat. This is, of course, on the supposition that 

 they are not to be fed out as baby beef. In case they are to 

 be made into baby beef, naturally the quicker they are made 

 fat, the greater the profit in the feeding. The first winter, 

 between the ages of 6 and 12 months, is not the time to at- 

 tempt to utilize cheap coarse fodders extensively, like stover, 

 etc. These materials should be used chiefly on older cattle. 



It goes without saying that from 12 to 18 months of age 

 the cattle should receive an abundance of nutritious grass, so 

 as to promote a uniform and rapid growth or to approximate 

 the full capacity of the animal for growth and to lay on as 

 much fat as possible, for gains at pasture are cheap, and all 

 the fat it is possible to make here will be made at the very 

 minimum of expense. 



As to the winter treatment from the ages of 1 8 to 24 

 months, all will depend upon what the immediate future of 

 animal is to be. If it is to be grazed the following summer 

 as a two year old, it should be made to utilize the cheap fod- 

 ders on the farm, eat out the stalk fields, etc. In any case, 

 it should not be permitted to lose in weight, but should be 

 made to gain liberally, so long as it does not lay on any fat. 



The laying on of fat at this juncture is unprofitable if 

 the animal is to be grazed, for two reasons. 



First. It is unnecessarily expensive to make fat by par- 

 tial feeding. As has already been pointed out, gains made 

 on anything less than full feed are made at a cost that in- 

 creases directly as the quantity of food is decreased. 



5 2 



