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FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



18 months. In New Hampshire, it was 

 found that the total cost of bringing 

 animals to a fine market form at the 

 age of 16 months was $28.81. 



Experiments in Michigan indicated 

 that early maturing breeds of cattle 

 would bring a greater profit at one year 

 of age, if pushed from the start, than 

 if kept until they were three or four 

 years old. In Colorado, a number of 

 feeding experiments were carried out 

 with calves seven to 10 months old. 

 They were forced on a fattening ration 

 for 178 days, the ration containing corn, 

 oats, sugar beets and alfalfa hay. The 

 profit obtained from these animals at 

 the end of the feeding period was very 

 satisfactory. Likewise in Iowa, Ne- 

 braska, Minnesota, Utah, Canada and 



and linseed meal. When such a system 

 of feeding was adopted, the profits in 

 baby beef from skim milk calves were 

 much greater than when whole milk was 

 used. In this system of beef production 

 it should be remembered that when a 

 forcing ration is given throughout the 

 first year, the animals may not endure 

 heavy feeding the second year. In some 

 instances their health fails and financial 

 loss results. If calves are forced from 

 the start, they should be finished off 

 soon after the end of the first year or 

 not later than 18 months. 



Among the great advantages which 

 may be claimed for the system of baby 

 beef production, we may mention the 

 fact that at the age of one year, heif- 

 ers, if in good market condition, bring 



»G1 — MEDIUM CUTTERS FROM ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT STATION 



elsewhere, excellent results have been 

 secured in feeding for baby beef. 



Many of our agricultural experiment 

 stations have demonstrated clearly that 

 after weaning, calves may be kept on a 

 good growth ration of hay, silage and 

 common farm grains and then forced 

 on a fattening ration, so as to be in a 

 fine market condition at an age of one 

 or two years. By this system better 

 prices are obtained for farm crops than 

 when sold direct. The rations which 

 are desirable for the production of baby 

 beef differ according to the section of 

 the country and need not be discussed 

 in detail here, since the feeding value 

 of different grains and other feeding 

 stuffs will be discussed in order in the 

 section on feeding mature beef. 



In Canada, it has been found that 

 baby beef may be produced cheaply on 

 i ground silage, ground barley and peas 



as much as steers and this is the only 

 time in the life of the heifer when it 

 will bring as much as the steer, pound 

 for pound. 



In Kansas, the best and cheapest ra- 

 tion was alfalfa hay and corn, followed 

 by alfalfa hay and kafir corn. In the 

 experiment carried on in Kansas, the 

 calves were of common breeding; never- 

 theless, they made good gains and pro- 

 duced a satisfactory profit. While this 

 6hows the possibility of tising common 

 calves in baby beef production it should 

 not be made a general practice, since 

 failure is apt to result and it is far 

 safer and more profitable to use only 

 high-grade or pure-bred beef animals for 

 this purpose. With good breeding and 

 proper feeding, the animals should be 

 brought to the weight of 1,000 pounds 

 at the age of 12 to 14 months. Cottrell 

 calls attention to the well-known fact 



