CHAPTER V 

 FATTENING STEERS 



Practically no corn is grown in the West, hence the 

 cattle are fattened on alfalfa or other hay. We include, 

 however, in this chapter a discussion of fattening cattle 

 on corn, since many of the cattle raised in the West even- 

 tually find their way into the Corn-Belt feed-lots, and 

 since the supply of corn-fed steers largely controls the 

 price of cattle in the big markets. 



FATTENING ON CORN 



In the central states the fattening of steers is accom- 

 plished almost exclusively on corn supplemented with a 

 little hay. The corn is fed in various forms, as ground, 

 shelled, or soaked, but most commonly on the ear. Feed- 

 ing on the ear is cheaper than most methods and produces 

 good gains. The amount of corn fed each day will vary 

 from fifteen to twenty-fi\'e pounds of shelled corn or 

 twenty to thirty pounds of ear corn. It is generally 

 estimated by farmers that a good healthy steer will eat 

 one-half bushel each day, but it takes a very large steer 

 actually to consume this amount. One bushel of shelled 

 corn weighs fifty-six pounds, while one bushel of ear corn 

 is ordinarily estimated to weigh seventy pounds. A 

 " bushel " of ear corn is the amount of ear corn which would 



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