Counsel in the Feed Lot. 375 



prevailed. In these latter times, raising the steer in summer on more 

 or less expensive pasture lands, and fattening him in winter on feed- 

 ing stuffs produced by expensive labor on lands of high selling value, 

 we find beef high in price compared with the past, and the price is 

 still advancing. That this must continue is made plain by a study of 

 the feed cost of production under existing conditions. Elsewhere are 

 given data (102, 504, 590-1) bearing on this subject, and the follow- 

 ing is presented to still further illustrate and accentuate the fact that 

 beef especially is produced only by and thru the consumption of large 

 quantities of feed, much of which is now expensive in character. 



To ascertain the total quantity of feed which is required to grow 

 and fatten a steer the Ontario Agricultural College'^ confined an ox 

 from birth to maturity in a well-bedded stall, giving exercise, when 

 required, by leading. Account was kept of all water and food sup- 

 plied, and of the voidings, with the following results: 



Pounds 



Weig-ht of steer at end of 36 months 1,588 



Water drank 42,449 



Milk consumed 3, 862 



Eoots consumed 7, 270 



Grain consumed 5, 857 



Roughage consumed 20, 957 



Excrement voided 46, 560 



It is shown that at the end of 36 months the steer so fed weighed 

 1,588 lbs. Such a steer would yield about 1,000 lbs. of dressed car- 

 cass. Accordingly, each pound of meat as sold by the butcher re- 

 quired about 4 lbs. of milk, 7 lbs. of roots, 6 lbs. of grain, and 21 

 lbs. of roughage, or 38 lbs. of food of various kinds in addition to 

 42 lbs. of water for each lb. of gain. 



When we realize that all this food must be grown, harvested, 

 housed, and fed out in small quantities twice daily to the animal dur- 

 ing a period covering 3 years, and that there are many other factors 

 of expense, we see that the price which the producer now gets for 

 the live steer is less rather than more than it should be. It is doubt- 

 ful if any other article of universal use and necessity is continuously 

 sold on so narrow a margin over cost, if any, as the live fatted steer. 

 1 Kpt. 1893. 



