St. Landry democrat., 1883-06-30
Handling Stockers.

It requires constant vigilance and care
to handle stock proitably. There are
SO many little things to look after
small economies to be practiced, that
the stock business may be styled an art.
On handling stockers some good sugges-
tions were given lately by Timothy
Horn, in New York Tribune. Thirty
steers of eight hundred to nine hundred
weight, on good pasture, he says, from
May / to November, should gain each
four hundred pounds. Much depends
on their condition when turned out in
the spring. Those wintered around
straw stacks, without grain, will not be-
gin to gain for several weeks. Their
digestion is bad; much blood is needed
to renew tl.eir coat of hair and loosen
the hide. On the other hand, steer
already fat will not gain so much as
one in what is called good condition.
Such an animal will increase very fast
from May to middle Or last of June,
averaging perhaps with a little grain
at first) four pounds per day, but dur
ing July and August very little gain
would be manifest, while the thin steer
would then be in condition to be adding
some weight. 1t is much better to mar
ket July the steers that were fat
when turned upon grass in May.
Cattle wintered around straw stacks
will be in good condition without any
grain if they are fed at the same time
with moderate amount of corn-fodder,
or four or five ears of corn per day with
out the fodder. A farmer will make it
pay to borrow money with which to buy
corn to feed cattle wintering around
straw stacks, as most of the cattle do in
all States west of Pennsylvania. 1t is no
unusual thing in this country of cheap
and abundant corn to see during March
dead cattle lying around straw stacks,
starved to death! Two months ago
saw such sight within two miles of
my residence; the owner, worth twenty
thousand dollars, with hundreds OF
bushels of corn conscientiously kept to
feed hogs-the everlasting hog. Farm
ers make an expensive mistake in think
ing grain fed to cattle is wasted.
A correspondent from Michigan,
whose inquiries suggested this article,
speaks of having pasture in an open
grove, and also Of a pasture well set in
timothy and clover. Now, much de-
pends upon the way these lots ARE past
ured. The wood-lot should be pastured
first, and the cattle kept off the timothy
and clover. because the grass among
the trees win be much richer and more
palatable if fed before the Strees come
into full foliage. This pasture, then,
should be allowed to grow up until Oc-
tober l, when it will again be in prime
condition at a time when timothy and |
clover have stopped growing.
Many persons overstock their past
ures, and the animals fail to gain as
much as they would with better range |
During May and June the grass seems
SO abundant they purchase more stock
to keep down the growth, and the re-
suit is, the cattle during August and |
September frequently gain nothing
The farmer must recollect that he can |
not depend upon much growth of any
grass except red clover from middle of I
July until fall rains set in. With plenty
of rain in latter part of summer the
grasses do not grow half as fast as
during May and June. These things
must be considered by the breeder Of
cattle if he expects the largest gain in
weight, and his pastures must be at all
times such that the cattle can readily
and quickly find sufficient grass.
think persons with small farms can
do much better than fatten cattle en-
tirely on grass. My plan is to take
spring calves USUALLY four) and about
middle of November begin to stable
them in a box-stall and feed each five
ears of corn twice day, cutting the
ears with sharp hatchet into small
pieces. They also have either good
straw or hay. They are thus fat when
turned on grass and grow rapidly. Next
winter they are stabbed and each fed
sixteen to twenty ears of corn per day
and again turned on grass, and by the
middle of June should each weigh 1900
pounds, and will bring the top price.
Pigs run after them and pick up the un-
digested corn. There is also large
item Of profit in the manure that is saved.
Kansas Farmer.
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