The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-01-20
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HoW 10 FEED CATTLE fRoslrA1LY.

HoW 10 FEED CATTLE f1oglrALY.
lam writing this article more for
the information which need, and which
Hope will be brought out in reply to 1t
than to tell what I know. The ques-
ton ask, and shall be partially answer,
is How can we feed ca tile to best ad-
vantage and profit? There are many
farmers who have large supply Of corn
to dispose of, which they do not wish
to sell or distillers but if they could re-
alize the market price, or little more
for it would be glad to feed it on the
farm SO as to retain the manure. The
question that many farmers are perhaps
now asking, is: Can winter feeding
be made profitable! l believe it can ;
and at the same time know Of nothing
in which the is more likely to make a
failure. Failure may come from vaai-
Gus causes, as hope to make plain
in this article. One reason why cattle
arc often fed nj loss, is because the
feeder buys too carly. For instance a
ncighbor of mine some few years since
who wanted to feed thirty steers,
bought them in October of the pasture.
1 feel safe in estimating that within ten
weeks after he bought them they were
each one hundred pounds lighter than
when weighed to him; and as cattle
had not advanced in price he had just
what ii costs to keep them that time
and the price of one hundred pounds,
which think was three aud half cts,
per pound. "But," says some one "did
he starvc them" No; they had fair
feed, but any one who has ever tried
it knows how hare it is to take an ami
NAL from grass TO dry food, especially
in the bleak autumn weather, without
their loosing flesh: Cattle come from
the pasture with a good deal Of what
butchers call drOss about them aud as
grass is very bulky food, in the trans
ition to dry food, the system goes
through change and they tall away
in flesh. In my judgment there is no
season Of the year in which it is SO un-
profitable TO feed for beef as the last
three months of the year. This is part
ly for the reason already given, and
partly because SO many choose this sea-
son to fatten cattle, that we seldom see
any advance in price during these
months. do not think any profit can
be made feeding cattle from what they
gain, unless at the same time we can
get an increase in price. If one can buy
steer weighing twelve hundred pounds
for three and q half cents per pound,
and in one hundred days feeding add
two hundred pounds on his weight and
improve the quality go that he is worth
four and half cents per pound, he
has twenty dollars for his one hundred
days feeding which would pr ,bably
about pay expenses. i speak Of one
hundred days feeding because it is my
experience and other feeders have told
me the same that this is about rs long
as stcadfas. feeding is profitable. This
is another reason why feeding should
not begin too early; for il we must
hold our cattle until spring TO get the
advance in price, we must not begin
until within one hundred days of that
time.
should like some statements from
cattle feeders as to the number of
pounds gain they can make in one hun
drcd days feeding. Ny own judgment
is that two hundred pounds is good
average, and that it will take good stock
and care TO do this.
This brings me to another point in
profitable cat tie feeding, and that is the
Importance ofgetting good stock. ANY
one who watches the reports of cattle
markets will see that what are called
shipping CATTLE" are usually quoted AT
cent more a pound than other cattle.
are smooth steers, generally grade
Short Horns, that will weigh from 400
to 600 pounds each.
Another reason why we fail to make
winter feeding of cattle profitable is,
that We feed too heavy in the start.
The first lot of steers that l ever STALL
fed | am confident would have gained
fifty pounds more than they did if I
had given them third less food. be-
licvc there is double the danger in over
feeding than there is in too light feed
ing. A single Over-feed, that brings on
scours or loss Of appetite, will cause the
animal to lose more than it will gain in
q week. In feeding the first lot of steers
alluded TO above think there was hard
ly week all winter in which there was
not one or more Of them of It's feed.
l believe that with my present expert
cncc can take lot of steers through
one hundred days with out having one
lose feed. II you ask how would do
this; I answer, first by beginning with
with light feed, and gradually increas-
ing until on full feed, and second BY
giving a variety Of food. | would feed
some whole corn some ground and
always mix my ground corn with bran.
would always feed regularly both rs
to time and quantity and would salt
twice week. l should consider my
cattle on full feed when they could eat
eight pound of bran and one feed Of
whole corn amounting TO bushel
week. 1 should begin with about half
this amount and if my cattle at the end
of six weeks feeding showed evident
signs Of improvement and would eat
this ration, should feel well assured
of success in feeding. One more direct
ion and am done and that is your
stock must be made comfortable. If
they are obliged to lie down in manure
with their flanks covered with tags or
to stand shivering in fence corner
through the winter storms or drink
ice water in the coolest weather, de-
pend upon it the owner win pay for it
in an extra feed or diminished gain.
Ihave recently been corresponding
with farmer Of Illinois who claims to
have made gain of 4l9 pounds each on