Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-02-13
FATTENINe BEEF CATTLE.


steer" Some years ago placed in my
yard set Of platform scales that would
weigh up to three tons, and allowing my
ncighbors tho free use OF them. they gen.
orally began to drive their fattening cattle
and young horses to these scales that they
might note their growth from time to time,
and that the value Of their beef cattle might
be known to the feeders when they we're
ready for the market. Some quite marked
results followed the use Of these scales
TIE buyers Of fat cattle did not like TO hase
the feeders know the true weights Of their
animals, because, in the absence of exact
knowledge on the part Of the seller, the SUI
perior judgment Of the skilled buyer gave
him great advantage in the trade. l di-
gress here to say that the skill acquired by
long practice in buying aud then slaughter
ing cattle is wonderful. know man who
can give the value of single steer by
merely seeing and then examining him,
without weighing--within one dollar, as the
same shall be determined whcu he is Slaugh-
tered aud all his beef, hide and tallow de-.
termined by actual weghiug--and if ten or
more steers were to be included in the trial,
he probably would come within half dol.
lar Of the average value; that is, he would
come within five dollars of the real value Of
the ten animals. Against the judgment of
such man who, as he would express him
self, "buys by the dolars"--that is, offers
round sum, or asks price in dolIurs--the
ordinary farmer who fats few steers or
oxen, has but a poor chance, unless he
weighs, either before or after the beef is
slaughtered. So the buyers, generally, are
not in favor Of farmers having the means Of
determining the true weight of the beef
cattle they may have 10 sell ; and this
soon learned, after the scales had been
brought into use.
The more important knowledge derived
from these scales was that oxen that had
been worked all summer, when put upon
feed, 10 6t them for the butcher, would
usually gain quite rapidly for some two,
three, or more months then, as the animal
became well filled out, the rate Of gain
would generally fall of, and the coming Of
cold weather would generally bring the
progress of such animals to a stand.still,
and sometimes they would fail of in weight
from these combined causes. The warmer
the stables the better for the animals in cold
weather, provided the ventilation was sufi-
cient for good pure air is quite as impor-
tant as warmth. So il turned out that
some Of my neighbors, who had formerly
held on to their cattle for coed price in
spring. learned that lower price per pound
in the beginning Of winter, gave more prof.
it than the higher spring prices; but the
great lesson taught vas that the feeding Of
old working oxen for the butcher was gen.
orally rather poor business, and now very
few such cattle are fej in this vicinity.
The direct profit in feeding cattle on the
good grain lands, in country that has as
good markets as are made by the interior
cities Of the State of New York, is very
little under the most favorable circumstances
Men who are good judges Of cattle, may
buy thrifty steers, partly fatted, and feed
them up to ripeness, and then sell SO as tC
leave some profit. But generally the
greatest advantage is derived from the ma
nure made in feeding the grain, hay ant
other forage produced by the farm at home
rather than selling it off the farm. Blu
great skill is necessary, even to avoid pos
tive direct loss in buying, feeding, an(
selling beef cattle, and to raise them from
calves is still more Improbable anywhere
near the cities. Pasture is, Of course, tn,
cheapest way of increasing the growth o
farm stock, but when the pastures are NJ
longer available, and yards aud stables, anC
cured grass, in the form Of hay and straw
Of the small grains, and stalks of lndiaI
corr, must be relied upon as the principa
food, then it becomes necessary 20 assis
this kind Of food, by using grain. Th
great cost Of grain makes it important t.
feed it in the most economical manner
Just how that best economy can be use'
must be decided in each case by the cir
cumstanccs thereof. In places where cor
is used for fuel because Of its small sell
1 ing value, true economy may be found il
turning the steers directly Into the field
allowing them to trample large part Q
the crop under foot, where swine will fin
, II and turn some Of it into pork. This
the extreme case, and looks very wastefu
! TO the man Of New England. The Othe
extreme is, where the food costs so muc
that the feeder can afford to grind the grail
T, and cut up tho forage, and then cook it be
fore feeding, that all the nutrition it can b
any means be made to give shall be secured
Cooking expands Indian meal, 80 as t
= fully double its bulk and it 50 softens th
particles that digestion is easy, and as pei
feet as we can secure. The moisture {
cooked meal is agreeable to animals fed o
dry hay and straw, and this is one of tn
advantages of cooking, even a part Of th
foOd-but still more benefits are derive
Q from cooking most of the forage, especial
E the hard and more woody parts of it. Bu
t one feeding each day, of uncut and Ut
+ cooked hay, will be much relishsd by th
cattls-and will be found necessary to thei
+ best progress. But only few cases wi
/ justify the expense Of cooking food to max