The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-01-25
The Most Profitable Cattle for the
Average Farmer.


Convention of Michigan Shorthorn
Breeders, held in Detroit
/ shall say onorthorns and their grades,
and more especially the grades, TAX
ing the amount of capital invested in
TO consideration. Now that have said
this, it stands me in hand to prove it,
or | have failed to make good my
statement. The facts l shall state in
proof Of it l shall endeavor to place
on basis which will be readily I'M
derstood by the average farmer. To
make success of cattle raising
and by success l mean financial sue
cess, not success in the show ring-I
shall not advocate the starve- o-death
plan pursued by many Michigan
farmers, nor do mean to favor the
high feeding system which is pursued
by those fitting for the show ring.
In the first place shall claim that
the Shorthorns are the most profitable
as meat producers, because they will
produce more meat from given
amount of food, at any age, than any
other breed of cattle. For example
let US take grade steer, hall or three
quarters bred Shorthorn, and there is
no trouble in making him weigh at
two years old, from 1900 to 1900
pounds and he is worth at least
~ cents per pound at the farm,
which makes him bring $3.50, say
ing nothing about the manure he has
made, which is of much value to the
farmer. Now that he will bring
S5S.5o cash, what has he cost? We
will allow So for the calf when he is
dropped and 81 per month for the
first six months for keep. Now we
place him in the barn for the first
winter and allow double for the next
six months, which would be twelve
dollars, making him cost at one year
old twenty-one dollars. He can now
go on grass for the next six months,
which is worth one dollar per month,
making cost at one and half
years old of twenty seven dollars.
Now we must fit him for the market
in the next six months, and we will
allow three dollars per month for
that time, which will make him cost
at two years old S45. We sell him
for $3.50, and we have for the labor
and profit $3.50, besides the ma
nure. Has he not been profitable !?
Now let us look at the dam Of this
steer and see what she will do. AL
lowing that she has cost the same at
two years old as the steer, which is
more than necessary, for we need not
TIT her for beef at that age, and she
is ready to drop her first calf. We
milk her and make butter from the
milk for nine months in the year !;
she makes us pound of butter per
day for that time she has made 27o
pounds of good butter, which is
worth at least 20 cents per pound.
and she has brought us $s4, and we
have had the milk for the calf after
it was skinned. We keep her until
she is eleven years old, and she breeds
us nine calves, and has made us S54
per year in butter. She has brought
us S486. We now fit her for the
'shambles she will weigh fifteen hun
dred pounds, worth four cents per
pound, making her bring 500, total
of $40 received. What has she
cost! We allow SIS per year for
keeping her the nine years, which is
Sa25 dollars, with the cost at two
years old of S45, and she has cost us
S27o dollars. AS she has brought
S546 dollars, it would give us for
labor and profit S276. Has she not
been more profitable to the owners
than any of the common or dairy
breeds, although they might have
made a few more pounds of butter
per year? But we would have had a
patent creamery used in making the
butter, and lots of time spent in ped
ding it, while we would have got two
or three cents more per pound for it.
But what have her calves brought us2
The steers were kept the same as the
grade Shorthorn, and cost the same;
perhaps he will weigh nine or ten
hundred pounds, and will not bring
as much by cent per pound; he
will therefore bring S35, loss on
raising of $40, which will balance
the extra butter and extra price got
for it.
The heifers are kept and tried as
butter producers, and if they prove
good ones are kept at the same profit
as the dam. If not good butter pro-
ducers they are sold for beef at
still larger cut and cost than the
steer. The other is kept to the same
age as the Shorthorn or grade, and
what is she worth for beefp She is
small and it is almost impossible to
c.xs-.~ L. Il q. .-I.l~t. 4