Fattening Steers 91 



who are at present concerned with beet pulp are the large 

 outfits having feed yards within a few blocks of a sugar 

 factory. The sugar factories are largely located in the 

 irrigated sections of Idaho, Utah and Colorado. 



Silage for beef cattle under western conditions is so far 

 an experiment. It may prove a great success, but at 

 present there is too little known about it to justify any 

 positive statements. Silage has proven its value to the 

 beef producers of the Corn-Belt. 



WHEN TO FEED CATTLE 



For a man who raises neither hay nor cattle to buy 

 both, unless he expects to secure some value out of either 

 the clean-up or the manure, would not usually be advisable. 

 But the ranchman who raises his own hay, or who raises 

 his own cattle, and can procure hay at a reasonable price 

 and close enough to feed on his own farm, will often find 

 it profitable to feed, providing, however, that he likes cattle 

 and is willing to study them and follow the markets care- 

 fully. Cattle-feeding is an attractive business, but is no 

 easy task ; and it takes but a very small break to lose a 

 whole crop of hay. The successful feeder will usually be 

 found very much interested in his work, and eager to talk 

 cattle at any and all places. There is a certain fascination 

 about handling cattle which when once felt, is hard to 

 escape. 



On the whole it would not be well to encourage any 

 marked increase in the cattle fattening business. Rather 

 extensive experiments and investigations conducted by 

 the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station lead us to believe 

 that the business is generally over-rated and that many of 

 the feeders are not receiving as large or as cheap gains as 



