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-five 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 
68 
