Holsteins as Beef Cattle 



(By HAROLD MCALISTER, Chino, Cal.) 



THERE is a wide and ever increasing demand among the farmers 

 in America for a good profitable dual purpose breed of cattle. 

 The price of feed has become so high that the farmer can no longer 

 afford to keep a cow that gives but enough milk to raise its calf for 

 beef purposes, for in that case the calf has to show a profit, not only 

 above the cost of its own keep but above the cost of its dam's keep 

 also. If, on the other hand, instead of being a heavy expense, a 

 cow can produce enough milk to properly raise its calf and to show 

 a substantial profit for butterfat besides, it will be seen that the 

 profits from beef production can be very greatly increased. 



Practical experience and demonstrations by many different 

 State Experiment Stations have proven two facts : first, that on the 

 arable farm the dual purpose cow is more profitable than the 

 specialized beef type; and, second, that the Holstein is the most 

 profitable dual purpose cow. 



The first fact is proven by the tests conducted by the Michigan 

 Experiment Station, in which it was shown that the dual purpose 

 steer averaged $41.27 more net profit per head than the beef type 

 of steer. In Bulletin No. 261 it is stated that the dual purpose or 

 "skim milk fed lot of baby beeves showed as good a condition of 

 flesh and quality as the suckled lots and were nearly equal in 

 weight," and that "baby beef production by the skim milk method 

 is much cheaper and gives better results than by suckling methods." 



The Iowa Experiment Station states in Bulletin No. 48, after 

 extended experiments, that "a system whereby dairying and meat 

 making may be combined is most promising in its profits. It is 

 not only possible to combine these qualities to a profitable degree, 

 but also to perpetuate them, if the herd is bred especially for them. 

 The feeding of range steers, at present prices, does not permit of 

 securing much profit, in comparison with the returns that may be 

 secured from the products of a herd bred for the special purpose of 

 meeting conditions of a combination of dairying and beef making. 

 Not only do steers from cows bred with this combination in view 

 yield as much profit as those from the range, but returns from the 

 cows, when used for dairy purposes, make the combination much 

 more remunerative." 



As it has been proven by actual tests that it costs $32.32 a year 

 to keep a beef cow solely to have a calf, while a Holstein cow will 

 earn $73.33 net profit in the same length of time, a beef steer has to 

 start out in life with a handicap of over $105 against him, which the 

 Holstein steer has to its credit at birth. 



In the past the dual purpose question has been discussed from 

 the standpoint of whether the Shorthorn or other beef breeds 



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