CHAPTER X 
FEEDING BEEF CATTLE 
Frepinc beef cattle differs considerably from feeding dairy 
cattle. The production of milk is largely an independent in- 
dustry because of the fact that successful dairymen have time 
for little if anything else; whereas beef production is not a special 
industry and does not require all of the farmer’s time, and on the 
average is conducted successfully only in connection with grain 
farming. Successful beef producers regard beef-raising as a con- 
venient way of marketing grain, as well as a means of conserving 
soil fertility, and also a profitable means of utilizing coarse forage 
which otherwise would be largely wasted. 
ESSENTIALS OF FEEDING CATTLE 
In considering cattle with a view of estimating their profit 
as beef producers, there are a number of essentials to be taken into 
account. Chief among these are the age, form, condition, quality, 
uniformity, and the price. 
288. Age at which to feed cattle. — To secure some idea of 
the age at which gains can be made most cheaply, let us examine 
the composition of the body of an old and a young steer : — 
WatTER AsH PROTEIN Fat 
Per Cent | Per Cent | Per Cent | Per Cent 
Aged fat steer 49.5 4.4 | 15.6 30.5 
Tat calf . 64.6 4.8 16.5 14.1 
