THE SHORT FEED S 3 



ing and marketing. Cattle feeders who do not have 

 these advantages would better leave this branch of the 

 business to those who have. 



Commonly, about one-third of the margin per hun- 

 dredweight necessary to balance accounts in case of 

 feeding cattle bought on the market and returned to be 

 sold there after fattening, is due to freights, commissions, 

 and stock yards charges. Hence the shorter the fatten- 

 ing period, the larger is the relative importance of these 

 buying and marketing expenses. Thus it is not diffi- 

 cult t.o see that the difference in distance from the mar- 

 ket, causing differences in freight rates, may properly 

 affect the nature of cattle feeding practice advisable. 

 It should be obvious that nearness to market should be 

 favorable to a system of short feeding. Perhaps the 

 factor of greatest importance in selecting cattle for this 

 purpose, assuming whatever purchased to be worth the 

 price paid, is to get cattle that have as much age as 

 possible. Cattle under two years old should seldom if 

 ever be selected for short feeding purposes, and three- 

 year-olds are to be preferred to younger cattle. If the 

 cattle are purchased with a view of "warming them up," 

 a decided lack of flesh, providing they are thrifty, is to 

 be desired, while if purchased with a view of making 

 a good to choice grade of beef, fleshy feeders or cattle 

 that some other feeder has "warmed up" should be 

 purchased. In both instances, but more especially in 

 the latter, as good quality or breeding in the steers 

 should be secured as is available at right prices. Weight, 

 always an important factor in buying feeding cattle, is 

 especially important in buying cattle for a short feed. 



HOW TO FEED 



No matter what method of getting cattle on feed is 

 advisable where cattle are to be fed for a considerable 

 time, for short feeds they must be put on feed quickly 

 and fed on a heavy, highly concentrated ration. Else- 

 where it has been stated that the safest and most satis- 



