Feeding Beef Cattle 181 
296. Methods of summer feeding. — There are two methods 
of fattening beef cattle on pasture: pasturing alone with no grain, 
which is called “ grass fattening’’; and feeding grain, often all 
they will eat, in connection with the pasturage. Which of these 
methods should be employed will depend on conditions. When 
land is cheap and there is an abundance of pasture, one may secure 
"fairly good returns from pasturing without grain. On the other 
hand, if the pasture is limited, the land high in price, and one has 
the grain, no doubt it will be more profitable to feed grain in con- 
nection with the pasture. While cheaper gains can usually be 
made from pasturing alone, the cattle cannot, as a rule, be made 
very fat, and hence will not command a high price on the market, 
a drawback which offsets the advantage of cheap gains. There are, 
however, many experienced cattle feeders who rely on grass fatten- 
ing, particularly on the edge of the corn-belt. Cattle feeders in 
the corn-belt will, as a rule, secure greater returns from a liberal 
grain feed in connection with the pasture. 
297. How to turn to grass.— As cattle are very subject to bloating 
if turned to succulent grass, especially if it is wet with dew or 
rain, much care should be exercised. This is particularly true 
when they are turned to clover or alfalfa. If it is convenient, one 
should turn the cattle out for an hour or so in the afternoon and 
then take them up for the day, turning them out the following 
day at noon and leaving a few hours longer, then taking them up 
again, when on the third day they may be allowed to remain. 
298. Feeding grain to cattle on pasture.— The amount and kind 
of grain that should be fed to fattening cattle on pasture will 
depend much on the previous treatment, age, condition, and 
quality of the cattle, as well as the time of marketing them. Young 
stock, that are to be made thick fat, will need grain continually 
throughout the summer. Older cattle, that are not intended for 
market until fall, may well have their grain withheld until the 
pasture begins to get short, say along in July. Many cattle 
feeders prefer to ‘‘warm the cattle up ” in the feed lot before going 
