410 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



heavy and light types of steers, the ma- 

 jority of feeders prefer the heavy steers. 

 In Canadian experiments, it has been 

 [found that there is more profit in 

 heavy than in light steers. 



Value of succulence in the ration — A 

 number of experiments have been made 

 to determine the importance of adding 

 succulence to the ration in the form of 

 silage, soiling crops or roots. In Ten- 

 nessee, dry rations were compared with 

 succulent rations, corn stover being fed 

 against silage. It appeared from these 

 experiments that the animals which re- 

 ceived a succulent ration did much 

 better than those which were fed on the 

 dry ration. The rate of gain was more 

 rapid on the succulent ration and a 

 greater economy was observed, as well 

 as a superior quality of beef. 



Age and cost of gain — It has been 

 shown beyond question in almost innu- 

 merable experiments that the rate of 

 gain decreases with the increase in the 

 age of the animal, and that the cost of 

 the gain correspondingly increases. This 

 fact has led to the adoption of early 

 maturing beef breeds and the produc- 

 tion of baby beef in order to get the 

 greatest amount of meat from a given 

 amount of feed. 



According to statistics compiled from 

 experiments with more than 50,000 cat- 

 tle ranging in age from six months to 

 four and one-half years, it appears that 

 the average daily gain decreases grad- 

 ually from 2.3 pounds in yearlings to 

 1.2 pounds in five-year-olds. At the 

 Colorado experiment station, the daily 

 gain in five-year-olds was 1 pound; in 

 two-year-olds, 1.7 pounds, and in year- 

 lings, 2.2 pounds. In the same experi- 

 ment, the five-year-olds required 3,600 

 pounds of hay for 100 pounds of gain, 

 the two-year-olds, 1,300 pounds, and the 

 yearlings, 900 pounds. In young calves, 

 a pound of gain has been produced for 

 each 1^2 to 2 pounds of dry matter fed 

 in the ration. The required amount 

 gradually increases until « adult age, 

 when from 10 to 12 pounds of dry mat- 

 ter are consumed for each pound of 

 gain. In Alabama, 18-year-old oxen 

 were fed at a loss, while young steers 

 made excellent gains on the same feed- 

 ing stuffs. Likewise, at the Maryland 

 experiment station, it has been found 

 that dairy cows, six years old or less, 

 may be fattened at a fair profit while 

 cows eight to 10 years old or older must 

 be fed at a loss. 



Similarly in Colorado, North Caro- 

 lina, Oklahoma and other states, as well 

 as in Canada, more profit has been 

 found in two-year-old than in three-year- 

 old steers. At the Central Experimental 

 Farms in Ottawa, the cost of 100 pounds 

 of gain was as follows: In calves, $4.89; 

 in yearlings, $7.23; in two-year-olds, 

 $7.45; in three-year-olds, $13.75. It has 

 also been determined by a series of ex- 

 periments in Canada, that the total 

 feed required for a calf for a period of 

 203 days averages about $13.80; for a 

 yearling, $18.20; for a two-year-old, 

 $18.96; and for a three-year-old, $22.82. 



Home-grown vs. purchased feeds — 

 The concentrated grain feeds constitute 

 the greatest element of expense in con- 

 nection with the production of beef. It 

 is, therefore, a matter of great impor- 

 tance to determine how and to what ex- 

 tent these expensive feeds may be sup- 

 plemented by crops grown on the farm. 

 Since the most expensive element of 

 grain feeds, as well as other materials in 

 the steer ration, is the protein, it is ob- 

 viously necessary to produce this ma- 

 terial in ordinary farm crops in order 

 to make a saving in the ration. A 

 majority of beef feeders have found it 

 profitable to raise all of the feed used 

 for their steers, or as nearly all as their 

 farm acreage will allow. A considerable 

 percentage of beef producers buy corn, 

 linseed meal, bran, patent stock foods, 

 cottonseed meal, oats, shorts, middlings, 

 gluten meal, brewers' grains, hay and 

 even straw. About one-half of those 

 who purchase feed for their steers buy 

 corn, while the other half buy milling 

 products of one sort or another. It has 

 been shown by numerous experiments, 

 however, as indicated above, that by 

 growing alfalfa, cowpeas, clover or 

 other leguminous crops, this material 

 may be used to supplement a consider- 

 able part of the grain ration, with a 

 great saving in the feed bill. 



Methods of increasing returns from 

 beef cattle — I n New England, some of 

 the best and most progressive feeders 

 state that the best way to increase the 

 profits from beef production consists in 

 a use of better bred steers, better rations, 

 and better pastures. In Illinois, a sum- 

 mary of the replies of 639 beef producers 

 to the question of how to increase the 

 profits from the business, indicates that 

 the vast majority of them believe this 

 desired end is to be accomplished by the 

 use of a larger number of well-bred cat- 

 tle, A more intelligent use of feeds. 



