414 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



on dairy cows for the production of 

 steers of the right form for the beef 

 market. This practice has the great ad- 

 vantage that dairying and beef raising 

 may thus -be combined on the same farm, 

 in a most economical manner. 



It is commonly believed by beef 

 raisers that the so-called beef breeds are 

 better for beef production than dairy 

 breeds or scrubs. The reasons given 

 for this superiority, however, are often 

 incorrect. For example, a comparison 

 of different breeds in Michigan showed 

 no constant difference in meat produc- 

 tion between them. Dairy breeds made 

 poorer gains, laid on more fat around 

 the internal organs, showed more shrink- 

 age on shipment, and a higher percent- 

 age of cheap parts than did the beef 

 breeds; the beef breeds of cattle also 

 matured earlier. 



In a comparative test in Missouri, the 

 Shorthorns stood first in power of beef 

 production and in the quantity of fat; 

 the Angus was first in palatability of 

 meat and in general excellence, followed 

 by Shorthorns, grades and Herefords. 

 All of the pure breeds and grades gave 

 better results than scrubs. In North 

 Carolina, however, scrubs proved more 

 profitable than grades on cottonseed 

 meal and hulls. The matter of profit 

 in this and other similar cases depends 

 partly on the estimated value of the 

 steers at the beginning of the fattening 

 period. 



In a comparison at the Minnesota ex- 

 periment station, no constant differences 

 were observed in the fattening qualities 

 of grade stock from different breeds, 

 and in Iowa, Angus and Shorthorns 

 proved equally good. In one test made 

 in Kansas, Shorthorns seemed to be 

 slightly superior to scrubs in economy 

 of gain and in percentage of dressed 

 weight. In Utah, native steers gave bet- 

 ter profit, in some instances, than pure 

 breeds. 



It is apparent, as shown by compara- 

 tive experiments, that 100 pounds of 

 gain may be produced as economically by 

 dairy breeds, grades or even scrubs, as 

 by beef breeds. Nevertheless, there are 

 good and sufficient reasons for choosing 

 beef breeds for beef production. Beef 

 breeds lay on fat in the best cuts of 

 steaks and roasts, on the back, loins, 

 ribs and hindquarters, while dairy breeds 

 show a tendency to accumulate too 

 much fat around the intestinal organs. 

 The tallow may constitute as much as 



30 per cent of the carcass of the Jersey 

 steer. Moreover, the contour of such 

 animals remain somewhat angular, even 

 after they have been fattened to the full- 

 est extent, and they bring a smaller 

 price on the market. 



With regard to the experiments in 

 which equally good results were ob- 

 tained with dairy and beef breeds, it 

 should be stated that these tests were 

 carried out under such conditions that 

 the butcher agreed to take both types 

 of animals at their actual value. If, 

 however, the butcher or packer is given 

 the choice between the beef breeds and 

 dairy breeds, he will never hesitate to 

 choose the former, for the reason that 

 he well knows that greater returns in 

 beef can be obtained from the beef type 

 than from the dairy type. 



Southern vs. western steers — Where 

 the feeder buys all of his steers from 

 outside sources, or has opportunity to 

 feed more steers than he can raise on 

 his own premises, he has two general 

 localities outside of the corn belt in 

 which to look for young stock for this 

 purpose. Some doubt may be felt as 

 to the relative value of southern and 

 western steers for feeding. This mat- 

 ter has been thoroughly tested at the 

 Iowa experiment station and elsewhere, 

 with the result that little difference was 

 found in the economy of buying south- 

 ern and western steers. The results ob- 

 tained from feeding either of these 

 classes of steers depend far more on the 

 feeds used and the skill of the feeder 

 than on the animals themselves. 



Fat beef, prime beef and baby beef 

 compared — I n a comparison of these 

 three kinds of beef by Otis, at the Kan- 

 sas experiment station, several points 

 were taken into consideration. A fat 

 Steer 38 months of age at the time of 

 slaughter was evenly covered with fat 

 and of good symmetrical form; a prime 

 steer, 23 months old at the time of 

 slaughter, also showed a fine form, but 

 less fat; the baby beef heifer, compared 

 with these two animals, was not quite as 

 fat as might have been desired, weigh- 

 ing 775 pounds. The dressed weight 

 was 66.5 per cent in the case of the fat 

 steer 65.3 per cent with the prime steer 

 and 52.7 per cent with the baby beef 

 heifer, as compared with 41 per cent for 

 a common canner. The weight of the 

 tallow in the fat steer was 121 pounds, 

 and in the prime steer 69 pounds. The 



