The Columbus journal., 1882-11-08
Points in Economic Feeding.

Points In Economic Feeding.
Broadly stated there are five cardinal
points we are compelled to observe in
the East in economical beef production.
These are, good steers, warm quarters,
thoughtful food, combinations arranged
with some reference to manure value,
and early maturity. Not without mich
observation I affirm our Eastern cattle
are of toe low a type. Experience
teaches me that as distinguished from
the scrub, the good steer, we'll bred
grade even of the larger breeds, is q
better feeder of the so called coarse
foOds-straw, swale hay and corn fod-
der-than the poorer sorts 50 often ham
died to consume the hard fare of the
farm. A beast Of this sort will not only
eat better but thrive better on these
foods than the scrub, provided he has
enough, aud this ''enough" becomes
more productive per pound eaten. This
ssenOugh" makes the difference between
the early matured and the later matured
steer. The steer turned at two years,
weighing 1900 pounds, a mainte-
nance fodder for two years less than a
steer weighing 1000 pounds turned ut
four years. The maintenance fodder
for a 1000 pound steer is about eighteen
pounds of hay a day, according to my
tests. Thus the good steer l find is moi
only my most accomplishing eater, but
the earliest turned, and hence the most
economical.
Economy dictates that his winter
quarters must be Warm-the tempera-
ture should average, say, fOrty-five de-
grees. In careful daily tests by scales,
thermometer, ETC., / found that l re-
ceived about 100 per cent. interest one
winter on the outlay for arranging bet
England barn stables. W. can not
afford to attempt to heat space with hay.
Lumber and paper are cheaper than
grain. The ration for the good steer in
good quarters should not be of cheap
foods alone, o entirely of the best
foods. The latter is not the most eco
nOmical ration. As q practical feeder,
l should not regard a hay and grain
ration rs a good ration where the price
of hay is high. As l have before stated
in the Rural, l know of no more eco
nOmical ration, where hay Is to enter
into 1t at all, than clover (called hay)
and straw mixed when moderate growth
is desired-say one pound q day. When
fattening is desired the addition of grain
will make an effective food.
With fairly bred grade Short-horns
l can make from LOO to 1,2OO pounds
by easy stages of growth, turning my
products at full market ate as follows:
New milk for first two or three weeks;
then skim milk. middings and corn
meal. At q little more age, cotton-seed
meal is substituted for middlings. The
first winter, clover and clover rowen
with some corn fodder or straw,O or both,
are fed with cOttOn-seed and corn meal.
The second winter, clover and straw
are often the only food, or a ration of
three pounds of cottOn-seed meal and
straw or corn fodder or both alone is
fed. As we raise much corn, often half
of this meal is fed. When we purchase
meal, my general practice is to buy
~cotton-seed meal, as it is 80 valuable as
a manure as well as especially valuable
to supplement straw for growing steers.
The growth by this system is not the
rapid growth Of nigh feeding, but hav.
ing no pasture near home, this is adopt
ed as an economical one. My expe-
rience is that high-pressure feeding in
winter is not consistent with distant and
ordinary pastures. When ordinary pas
lures are near at hand high winter
feeding a be supplemented by sum-
mer pasture feeding with grain to adj
vantage.
BY the system named, September, sales
are made. This gives three summers
growth (summer growth costs me but
about y cent per pound) for two win
ters' feeding, The weight named in
sures q good sale upon ar economical
growth. The expense l could easily
give, but it would be for local rates.
Better data are at hand. If the ration
is entirely hay the calf will consume
three per cent. of its live weight daily,
and the year-old two-and-one-half per
cent. With urging each will eat more.
When grain is given, a pound, in round
numbers, takes the place of q pound of
hay and insures faster growth generally.
When straw or clover is fed, or straw
and grain, less is eaten. A steer that
will eat 25 pounds of hay will not use
over Is pounds of straw when accom-
panied with three pounds of meal, or
generally three-tifths as much. When
corn fodder is given, with what is vast
ed, nearly as many pounds have to be
fed as of hay-not quite. Swale hay and
two to three pounds of cotton-seed meal
are often fed for an entire winter, in.
terchanged with straw or corn fodder.
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