270 PRODUCTIVE FEEDING OF FARM ANIMALS 



accidents through sickness, like indigestion and blackleg, than in 

 feeding older cattle. The production of baby beef has, however, be- 

 come of great importance of late years, especially in central and 

 eastern States, and it seems evident that cattle raising on high- 

 priced land will gradually change, to a large extent, to fattening of 

 young stock, yearlings, and two-year-olds, for the market, instead 

 of three- or four-year-olds, as was the common practice up to 

 recent times. 



In order to make satisfactory baby beef, calves must be of good 

 beef type, low set and blocky, from a pure-bred bull of one of the 

 early-maturing beef breeds (Mg. 66). Such a bull will sire a high 



Fig. 66. — A grand champion Shorthorn bull. (Breeders' Gazette.) 



percentage of excellent beef calves from good grade cows, but it is 

 not likely that calves from scrub or dairy cows can be fattened into 

 sufficiently ripe carcasses at the age required. Calves fed for baby 

 beef must be kept steadily gaining until they are ready for the mar- 

 ket. They generally receive their dam's milk until weaning time, 

 and are fed grain as soon as they learn to eat it; whole corn and oats 

 in the proportion of 3 to 1, with some pea-size linseed meal, will 

 make a very satisfactory grain mixture for calves, and with a good 

 grade of hay or pasture will jjroduce excellent gains. After wean- 

 ing, they are gradually brought on to full feed and receive the 

 mixture given, with some wheat bran or similar protein feed. 

 A little cornstalks may be also fed to advantage. Baby beef calves 

 dropped in the spring are rarely ready for market until July of the 

 following year : they are generally marketed during the last months 



