i;3 



Baby Beef. 



[JUNE, 



If it is fed upon 8 lb. of linseed cake, 10 lb. of hay, and 

 82 lb. of roots, we find, using the figures given in Waring- 

 ton's ''Chemistry of the Farm," that the food has been 

 employed somewhat as follows : — For increase : 2 lb. cake, 

 5 lb. hay, 20 lb. roots. For sustenance : 6 lb. cake, 5 lb. hay, 

 62 lb. roots. 



In order, therefore, to obtain the greatest possible profit 

 from animals wanted for beef, it is necessary to "keep them 

 moving." If for any length of time they stop growing heavier, 

 no return is then being given for the money spent on their 

 sustenance. In other words, a beast that is wintered in a 

 strawyard on an allowance of food which merely keeps it alive 

 is doing nothing to help pay for all the money and trouble 

 that is being expended upon it. 



Yield of Meat in Animals of Different Ages. — In the case 

 of beef-making, young animals give, considering the food 

 they consume, a greater proportionate increase than do older 

 ones ; or, in other words, the greater the age of the animal, 

 the greater is the proportion of the food required for susten- 

 ance, and the smaller the increase obtained. This is shown 

 by the following figures, which are taken from the published 

 accounts of the Smithfield Carcass Competition, and represent 

 results obtained from five breeds, namely, Shorthorns, Here- 

 fords, Aberdeen Angus, Sussex, and Devons. The weigh- 

 ings were obtained in eight years from : — 



77 yearlings slaughtered at about 22 months old. 

 89 two-year olds ,, 33 , , ,, 



54 three-year olds ,, 44 



As regards yearly increase, we find the yearlings (live- 

 weight 1,344 lb-) gave an average of 63 stones (of 14 lb.) 

 and 5 lb. of beef each, or at the rate of 34J stones per 12 

 months of life. The two-year-olds (live-weight 1,750 lb.) 

 yielded 84 stones 7 lb. of beef, which gives a rate of 30! 

 stones per 12 months; while the three-year-olds (live-weight 

 2,1 12 lb.) gave 96 stones, or at the rate of only 26J stones per 

 12 months. 



The financial advantage of selling early may be seen from 

 the following table, in which the prices realised pe*r month 

 of life for the youngest and oldest animals sold at Mr. R. 

 Bond's Auction Sales at the Ipswich Fat Cattle Shows are 

 given for three years and four years respectively : — 



