GROWING BABY BEEF "]() 



in too large quantities at one time, and out of condition, 

 is particularly to be guarded against. Judgment must 

 also be used in determining which calves shall be reared 

 and which rejected. A calf prematurely born, small 

 beyond a certain limit, or showing evidences of a lacking 

 stamina, should not be retained for such a use. 



Interruption in growth by any considerable periods 

 of arrested development would so far defeat the object 

 for which the animals are grown. The profit arises, 

 first, from the rapid increase made in proportion to the 

 food that is fed; and, second, in the relatively high price 

 that is paid for the high condition at the time of mar- 

 keting. Neither result will be secured when prolonged 

 periods of arrested development occur. The most com- 

 mon causes of arrested development in growing such 

 animals are the overfeeding of milk or meal, so strong 

 as to overtax the digestion. When calves for baby beef 

 run with their dams up to the time of weaning, the 

 weaning process will tend to arrest development for a 

 time, but not to the extent of preventing satisfactory 

 growth subsequently. 



The necessity for having the gains reasonably rapid 

 from the start will be apparent because of the character 

 of the feeding. The food fed to such animals must be 

 of the best. It is more costly relatively than food 

 that will suffice to grow breeding animals of similar age. 

 If good ^ains cannot be secured, the animals will not 

 only be lacking in weight, but they will also be lacking 

 in finish. To have them grow continuously under high- 

 pressure feeding without overtaxing calls for the exer- 

 cise o'' no little skill on the part of the feeder, and it 

 calls for constant vigilance at every stage of the work. 

 Should there be the slightest indications of deranged 

 digestion the animal should be at once isolated and put 

 upon a reduced diet until recovered. More commonly 

 the indications of such derangement will manifest them- 

 selves in scouring or in a loathing of food. 



