FINISHING CATTLE IN THE STALL OR SliED I5I 



less than 150 days. When finished on the farms on 

 which the animals are grown, the grower can control 

 the condition of the animal when it goes on a finishing 

 ration, and so may be able to shorten the usual period 

 of feeding. 



Animals whose growth is yet uncompleted may be 

 fed with profit for a longer period than older animals. 

 With them growth continues simultaneously with the 

 fattening process. This means that the food used in 

 promoting growth cannot, to the same extent, be used 

 in promoting finish, as if making such finish was the 

 only mission of the food fed. This does not imply that 

 profit from fattening the latter will be less, as the in- 

 crease will be relatively greater, but that more time 

 must be consumed in feeding them. 



The foods fed exercise an important influence. An 

 animal will reach a high finish more quickly on a ration 

 of corn, practically unlimited, than on a ration in which 

 a few pounds only of corn or other meal are fed daily, 

 the balance of the same being bulky food. This fur- 

 nishes the explanation, in part, at least, why animals 

 fattened in the corn belt are frequently sent to the block 

 when not more than 100 to 120 days on a fattening 

 ration. It does not follow, however, that such feeding 

 is the most economical. Such a ration more quickly 

 reaches the point when increase ceases, hence if pro- 

 longed feeding is to be conducted with the same, such 

 foods as oats, bran, or oilcake, or a combination of these, 

 must be added. 



The price of foods and of beef powerfully influence 

 the time that animals should be kept on feed. When both 

 are low or dear, high finish will be in order. If food is rel- 

 atively cheap and beef dear, which happens occasionally, 

 though rarely, the aim should be to make a very high 

 finish, and to take all the time necessary in making it. 

 If, on the other hand, food is dear and the beef cheap, 

 which sometimes happens, though not often, it is evi- 



