FEEDING OF BEEF COWS IN THE CORN BELT. 15 



amount of protein needed. As protein feeds are usually expensive, 

 it is customary to devise rations containing just the necessary amount 

 of this nutrient. However, alfalfa is the cheapest feed available in 

 this case. 



Reducing the feed by 1 ton of alfalfa would have cut the winter 

 feed bill $5 per cow. The calves, figuring all expenses, cost $39 

 each. Considering that each calf bore the maintenance charges of 

 1.1 cows, as well as a bull charge, a saving of $5 per cow would have 

 reduced their cost at weaning time to $33.50. As they were sold 

 September 15 for $35 a head, this saving would have meant a profit 

 of $1.50 each above all expenses, as against an actual loss of $4. 



FARM NO. 5. 



The ration used on the fifth farm was very satisfactory. It is 

 shown in order to illustrate how a farmer can grow emergency 

 forage crops to take the place of hay when the hay crop is a failure. 

 This farm (240 acres) is in northeastern Kansas. -Seventy acres 

 were in corn, 25 in oats, 25 in wheat, and 100 in pasture. Because 

 of the unusual rainy weather prevailing in that section the oats and 

 wheat for the year in which the record was taken were practically 

 destroyed and the straw was absolutely worthless for feeding. To 

 provide for a lack of hay 15 acres of millet and 4 of sorghum were 

 grown. 



The herd consisted of a bull and 15 grade cows, from which 15 

 calves were obtained. The cows were turned on stalks November 1 

 and allowed to run there until spring. They received approximately 

 3 acres of stalks, 1 ton of millet hay, and one-third of a ton of 

 sorghum fodder each. Valuing the millet at $4.50 a ton and the 

 sorghum at $4 a ton, the winter feed cost per cow was $8.20. The 

 cows were carried through the entire year for a net cost of $25.85. 

 The calves cost at weaning time, or October 1, $27.3Q per head and 

 sold on that date for $34.50, at a profit of $7.20. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



The results obtained from this study show that a large percentage 

 of farmers maintaining herds for the production of beef animals 

 do not study their rations carefully in order to determine whether 

 they are properly balanced and at the same time as economical as 

 possible. Many of the farmers visited evidently were trying either 

 to get their cows through the winter as cheaply as possible or simpty 

 feeding them enough to carry them through the winter in first-class 

 condition. In contrast to such practices are the methods of dairy- 

 men who produce market milk; they have learned by experience 

 that with the prices now prevailing if they are to continue in 



