182 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



as many as is necessary to do the work 

 of the farm. The original herd of high 

 grade Shorthorns has been gradually 

 changed into a herd of registered stock. 

 By this means the average price of the 

 calves sold has been raised from $15 

 to $100 a head, many of these cattle be- 

 ing sold for breeding purposes. In addi- 

 tion to the home grown stock, calves, 

 yearlings and two-year-olds are also 

 bought to feed for market. Young light 

 cattle weighing between 500 to 800 

 pounds are preferred for this purpose. 



Calves for beef — Mr. Chester's 

 method of handling calves for beef is 

 never to let them get hungry, but make 

 their feed as cheap as possible up to the 



Hogs raised — About 100 hogs are 

 kept on the farm all the time. They 

 are kept on pasture as much as possi- 

 ble, but fed grain the year round, ex- 

 cept when following cattle on feed. 

 They are sold when they reach a weight 

 of about 300 pounds each. As much 

 growth as is possible is made on pas- 

 ture, and as soon in the spring as possi- 

 ble, the sows and pigs are put after the 

 cattle on pasture. 



The horses kept are both raised and 

 bought. They are all high grade, draft 

 animals and sent to market only in 

 prime condition. "No exercise is given 

 while fitting for market except to lead 

 them out three times a day for water. 



Fig. 132 — CALVES READY FOR THEIR SKIM MILK, KANSAS EXPERIMENT STATION 



fattening period and then stop cheapen- 

 ing. Before fattening, the animals are 

 given pasture, corn stalks, clover hay 

 and silage. The steers are fattened 

 when they reach a weight of 1,000 

 pounds. Several lots of one or more 

 carloads are fed annually, a lot be- 

 ing on feed the most of the year. In 

 early winter fattening, each steer is fed 

 20 to 40 pounds of silage, 1-4 to 1-3 

 bushel of corn and all the clover hay it 

 will eat. The corn is fed as broken 

 from the stalks, grain, husks and cob 

 all crushed together. In summer fat- 

 tening, steers are kept on blue grass 

 pasture and fed about a peck of corn 

 each daily, either crushed or whole on 

 the stalk. The fattening period usually 

 lasts 100 to 120 days, 



When put on feed to be prepared for 

 market, horses are given all the clover 

 hay they will eat and a gradually in- 

 creasing ration of corn and oats till they 

 have all they will eat up clean. In 

 season, green corn is used instead of 

 dry, the change being accomplished by 

 substituting one ear of green corn for 

 one of dry each day." Mares are us- 

 ually sold off before they become old 

 unless unusually valuable for breeding. 



While this general live stock farming 

 is the most usual kind there can be no 

 doubt that the highest type of live stock 

 farming is represented by the man who 

 grows only pure bred stock. We may 

 therefore, well consider that subject 

 next, following it by other special types 

 of live stock farming, 



