CHAPTER VII. 



GETTING CATTLE ON FEED 



It not infrequently happens that steers intended for 

 the feed lot are left to roam about the stalk fields longer 

 than it is profitable to do so. Feeding cattle should 

 be taken from stalk fields and pastures before they 

 cease thriving under such management. How the steers 

 should be handled subsequently will depend largely 

 upon the age, grade, and condition of the steers, when 

 they are to be marketed, and the most available feeds. 



The majority of cattle coming from pastures and 

 stalk fields will not be finished for market in less than 

 150 days, while many of them will be carried through 

 the winter on rough feed as cheaply as possible and 

 turned to grass in the spring at a time when they are 

 practically on full feed. 



The cattle which are to be marketed after being 

 turned to grass in the spring should be handled differ- 

 ently from those that are to be sold earlier. (See chap- 

 ter XV, Fattening Cattle on Grass.) 



PLANS VARY SOMEWHAT 



Those who are familiar with cattle feeding practice 

 know that there is much difference of opinion as to the 

 length of time which should be employed in getting cat- 

 tle on full feed. The majority of cattle feeders, I believe, 

 practice a system of feeding which involves the getting 

 of the cattle on full feed in from ten days as the mini- 

 mum to thirty days as the maximum length of time. 

 The minority take what appears to be a more rational 

 view of this question and use from thirty days at the 

 least to sixty days at most for getting cattle on feed. 

 Both methods have their advantages and disadvan- 



4S 



