The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-02-19
Feeding stock for Profit.
pY WILLIAM WRIGHT, OF ADAMS.


That some have failed to make the
business Of feeding stock q success, anG
a source Of profit, viii not pretend to
deny; but think some of you will agree
with me when say this is not good
and sufficient reason why it cannot be
made to pay, and pay largely. II you
Will allow me, in order to illustrate thi
point. will take two farmers who intenG
10 experiment in this direotio and who
have been usually fortunate il secur-
ing large hay and corn crop, and that
too in the very best possible condition
/ merely mention this that ii may be
understood that the kind and quality Of
the feed to be used is the same; neither
in this respect, having any advantage
over the other. Now IN order that the
surplus may be fed on their respective
farms, they each conclude 10 purchase
ten head OF cattle to feed during the
winter, or until such time as they may
deem most profitable to sell.
will, If you please, for convenience
sake, call them farmer 4 and farmer b
| will endeavor TO show very briefly why
the former found the experiment unsat-
ter secured directly the opposite result
In order 10 succeed In any kind of bust
ness il is very essential that the first
step be taken in the right direction; and
this applies with equal If not greater
force TO feeding cattle for profit than 10
most of the avocations of Life. My pur-
pose Is 10 deal with these parties singly
commencing with each at the first Of
December, as this ia about the time cat
tie are placed in the stalls for winter
feeding, and follow them until the ami
mails are iinally sold, the balance struck
and the profit or loss ascertained. The
first step TO be taken Is IN securing the
! animals to be fed. So farmer A after
replenishing his purse with the ready
starts of 70 make the necessary purch-
ases, and after much riding and more
bantering he finds he has the required
number, The animals are driven home
and secured in farmer AS blnyard
Go with me for moment and let Us
| look them over. The first noticed is q
pair Of 2-year-old stays comment on
them is Unnecessary; the next six are
year old steers, thin, stunted and
rough; the others which make up the
number are two cows. will say moth
ing as to the age Of these, more than
| this, that where they were found cobs
we're priced highly as food, hence the
scarcity. The remark made by farmer
/ A as we passed out was, that they were
not Just his kind Of cattle; after all at
p cents per pound, the price paid, he
! thought the investment of necessity
| nrst prOve a profitable one
They are placed In the stanchions
/ where an animal never should be plac-
ed farmer A experimenting the first
feeding; he now considers his part oi
| the work done-turns them over to
gether with the hay and grain to the
boys" with the strict injunction &c
feed iudicionsly and economically. For
a while they received due care and at.
tention, but as the novelty Of the thing
wore of John began 10 think there wa
no use feeding so often-just as vel
give hay enough at once, to Inst all day
and Jim's idea Of feeding corn was mucl
the same. The result OF this was, por
ton Of the hay was eaten, the res
mussed over. and finally condemned a
worthless for food and used as bedding
and the corn might better not have beer
fed. The amount Of salt given varieC
from a small 10 a large handful, 10 cacl
animal, according to the time between
salting, which was usually from one L
two weeks; things going on much in thi
manner till the middle of May, when the,
we're sold 10 the village butcher at 3
certs per pound, shippers giving then
the cold shoulder.
| Let us now look over the figures ans
see the final result Of farmer As oxpon
ence in feeding stock:
Average weight OF each when bonght, 81
pounds, aggregate weight being 500
AZ az cents per pound amounts %. ....e2l2.y >
rs tous Of hay at slo dollars per ton. l5oV q
100 bushels corn at 80 cts. per busbcl. 10 .
Making total cost. 49,"
n Average weight when sold, o5o-a gain O
100 pounds per head
Whole weight when sold, 300 lbs.
Al 81 cent? per pound amounts to SSS2 5
% loads manure at el per load $500. 300
Making whole amount received. ... S:ss2. ;
Deducting S3S2,50. the amount rC
ceived, from SlS2, so, the amount paid
we find Farmer A. is minus just SlO0, ,00
besides the use of the money investe
and the labor and care bestowed, th
! latter being the smallest loss OF any
So we naturally conclude that Farms
! A. needs no more experiments of thi
kind TO convince him that feeding stoc
I Cfor profit rs no. his forte.