i6 



8, concerning the weight of cattle that have returned the greatest 

 profit, and to question No. 12 in relation to the age at which they 

 put their cattle on feed. 



Clearly, the length of feed is most intimately related to the 

 age of the cattle fed, and is likewise closely related to the qual- 

 ity of the cattle. It goes without saying that these men, in an- 

 swering the question as to the average length of their feeding 

 period, had in mind the making of good cattle into prime beef. 

 It is furthermore clear from their answers to this question alone, 

 but still further by their answers to questions 8 and 12, that 

 they also had in mind cattle of from 24 to 32 months of age. 



A LONG TIME IS REQUIRED TO MAKE YOTTNG ANIMALS FAT. 



The younger the animal, the longer the time required to 

 make it fat. This is on account of the tendency of the young 

 animal to utilize its feed so largely for growth instead of for the 

 production of fat. It is fat that makes the animal ripe and 

 marketable. 



Clearly, the young animal, when on full feed, puts its food 

 to three distinct uses: i. Maintenance; 2. Growth; 3. Fat. 

 The rate of growth diminishes as the age of the animal in- 

 creases. After a certain time, therefore, the animal would 

 reach an age when growth "would cease entirely. At such a 

 time in the life of any animal all of the available food above 

 maintenance would necessarily go to the production of fat. The 

 presumption is that the requirement for growth gradually di- 

 minishes, but not directly with the age of the animal. This 

 rate of growth has not been determined for the different ages 

 of the beef steer, but it is well known that after the age of 

 something like two years is reached, varying greatly with the 

 individual and with how he has been fed previously, it is very 

 much easier to make him lay on for than before. This of 

 course is saying that with the decline in the tendency to grow 

 comes a corresponding increase in the tendency to fatten. These 

 are all matters of common observation among feeders. Partic- 

 ularly has the ease with which older cattle may be made fat, 

 and the comparatively short feeding period necessary to bring 



