412 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



are to be kept in open yards at all, it is 

 better to leave them loose all the time, 

 rather than to confine them for a part 

 of each day. 



On the basis of statistics collected 

 among beef raisers in Missouri, it ap- 

 pears that 60 per cent prefer an open 

 shed, 21 per cent an open lot, and 19 

 per cent barn feeding. With steers, as 

 with other domestic animals, health and 

 vigor are important considerations, and 

 in order to obtain these it may be nec- 

 essary to abandon the use of close barns 

 and confinement. It is unnecessary to 

 pamper steers to excess, since if raised 

 under outdoor conditions they are fully 

 able to withstand the ordinary sever- 

 ity of a northern climate. 



Salt — An abundant supply of salt 

 should always be accessible to steers. 

 It has been estimated that steers re- 

 quire about 1 ounce a day for each 

 1,000 pounds of live weight. Wherever 

 range steers are salted at regular inter- 

 vals, or given free access to chunks of 

 rock salt, they thrive better than where 

 they are left to satisfy their appetites 

 in this direction by eating alkali. 



The form in which salt is supplied 

 to steers is a matter which can well be 

 left to the convenience and preference 

 of the individual beef raiser. If an 

 excessive amount of salt be added to the 

 feed, it leads to drinking . too much 

 water and a consequent excessive urina- 

 tion. In Kansas, when salt boxes were 

 placed in each feed lot and kept filled 

 with loose barrel salt, the results were 

 satisfactory in all respects. According 

 to statistics collected by Mumford, in Il- 

 linois, it appears that 85 per cent of the 

 beef raisers use barrel salt, 7 per cent 

 rock salt, and 8 per cent both kinds of 

 salt. Many farmers use a mixture of 

 equal parts salt and wood ashes. As 

 a result of mixing these materials, the 

 steers are induced to eat the salt slowly, 

 and the mineral substances in wood 

 ashes are believed to be beneficial. Of 

 the Illinois beef raisers, about 65 per 

 cent keep salt constantly before the 

 steers during the feeding period, while 

 35 per cent feed it at regular intervals. 



Water — The manner in which water is 

 supplied to the steers will vary according 

 to the arrangement which each farmer 

 devises for the feed lot. In Kansas, 

 Cottrell, in his experiments with steers, 

 allowed them to have free access to 

 water at all times. The water was sup- 



plied in tanks and kept in a pure and 

 wholesome condition. During the cold- 

 est weather of winter the water was 

 warmed and maintained at a tempera- 

 ture of about 50°. The cost of heat- 

 ing water in winter was found to be 

 about one-tenth of a cent a day for 

 each steer, and the care of the heaters 

 was a very simple matter. It appeared 

 that warming the water enough to take 

 off the chill was profitable. In Illinois, 

 it appears, according to Mumford, that 

 17 per cent of the beef raisers consider 

 it advisable to warm water for steers 

 during winter; the remaining 83 per 

 cent, however, do not warm the water 

 any more than is required to keep it 

 from freezing in open, exposed tanks. 



In Pennsylvania, it was found that 

 animals which had water before them 

 all the time showed a better appetite 

 than steers which were watered but once 

 a day. A self-watering device saved 

 considerable work, and appeared to ef- 

 fect economy in the amount of grain 

 required. According to observations in 

 North Carolina, 2 x /2 pounds of water 

 are required by steers for each pound of 

 dry feed when the ration consists of 

 cottonseed meal and hulls. Steers re- 

 quire an abundance of water at regular 

 intervals, or in a constant supply; other- 

 wise they become nervous and do not 

 make satisfactory gains. It is inadvis- 

 able, however, to attempt to make the 

 steer drink more than a normal amount 

 of water. 



Breeds most in favor with farmers — 

 It is a delicate matter to make a choice 

 among breeds of cattle for beef produc- 

 tion. Each breed has its ardent cham- 

 pions and the claims for each breed are 

 strongly urged. The strong and weak 

 points of the different breeds of beef 

 cattle have already been discussed. In 

 Illinois, according to Mumford, about 

 50 per cent of the beef raisers prefer 

 Shorthorns, 20 per cent Herefords, 18 

 per cent Angus, and the remainder keep 

 other breeds and grade stock by prefer- 

 ence. A considerable number of these men, 

 however, state that there is no particular 

 choice among the true beef breeds. Mum- 

 ford argues that the apparent greater 

 popularity of the Shorthorns is best in- 

 terpreted as meaning that the average 

 Illinois farmer has a better opportunity 

 to become familiar with them than with 

 most other breeds of beef cattle, for the 

 reason that they are most numerous in 

 Tlinois and neighboring states. 



