SELECTING STEERS FOR FEEDING 



By J. L. TOBMEY 



There are no very accurate figures showing the number of cat- 

 tle raised in Wisconsin for beef. Wisconsin is primarily a * ' dairy 

 state" as far as the cattle industry is concerned, and dairying 

 will undoubtedly become more popular in time to come. Condi- 

 tions in the state which have to do with the production of mar- 

 ketable products are better suited to dairying than to beef pro- 

 duction. 



The 1910 Census reports give the total number of cattle in 

 Wisconsin as 2,678,160, and of these 1,471,591 or 54.6% were re- 

 ported as dairy cows, many of which were probably of some beef 

 breed extraction. It states that 92.9% of the farms in the state 

 reported dairy cows. 



The cows not used for dairy purposes numbered 173,152. 

 There were 1,206,579 cattle other than dairy cows, which in- 

 cluded bulls, calves, steers, and beef cows. It is safe to assume 

 that some of the cows reported as dairy cows produced calves 

 kept for beef production. 



In 1908 the Wisconsin State Board of Agriculture reported 

 that out of 1,600 pure bred bulls in service on Wisconsin farms, 

 748 or over 46%, were beef bulls of the Short Horn, Aberdeen 

 Angus, and Hereford breeds. 



There are today in sections of Wisconsin a large number of 

 well-to-do farmers who own large farms with good pastures. 

 This land is utilized for grazing steers, or cows to produce beef 

 calves because the owners cannot devote the time to the direct 

 supervision necessary to competent and profitable dairying ; and 

 they do not care to assume the responsibility of directing the 

 large amount of hired help, which is often unsatisfactory and 

 difficult to obtain. 



