Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-03-26
PROPER METHOD OF FEEDING car.

PROPER METHOD OF FEEDING CAT.
TIE.
To me it is an indication of much bet
ter condition of affairs among us in the
near future, not only to our finances, but
also to our farms, that the attention Of
the farmers in this section is being turned
more to the subject, of not only raising,
but tattening, their cattle, before selling
them. And if can do or say anything
to encourage in this direction, shall feel
amply rewarded for any effort I may
make.
Different methods of feeding cattle
might be presented, and all be equally
proper methods. 1t depends upon the
object sought IN feeding: If it is the de-
sire to have an animal to compete for a
prize, a mere show animal, method of
feeding would be followed that would
| not be considered wise to follow If the
end in view was profit merely. Isuppose,
however, that it's the latter that interests
the most of you. It will, therefore, be
with reference to raising and feeding cat
tie for profit, that l shall direct your at
this business, and will only give you
such facts as come under nv observation
and experience, by narrating to you the
| method pursue in raising and fattenirg
steers and the results attending.
We often hear of cattle of enormous
size being raised by men in different parts
OF our country, and think it incredible,
when, IT all the expense attending their
growth and development, and the fact
also that they were not raised for profit
merely but to crafty an ambition to ex-
| Gel, were given, we would be less sur
prised. To secure large results with small
outlay, seems to be inherent in man, and
farmers are no exception to- this rule
The economy practiced in keeping stock,
especially while young, is often very
questionable. We can err in not feeding
enough. We can also do harm in feed
ing too much.
The idea was almost universal among
farmers years ago, and is quite prevalent
to-day, especially in this western country,
that steer must be at least or 4 years
old before he can be we'll and profitably
fattened: So they keep their calves on
skim milk almost from the start, adding
little bran or shorts as they grow older,
and at a year old, are turned into herd
on the prairie with other and older stock
to shift for themselves as best they can
for the summer, with little hay, corn
stalks and abundance of straw in the
winter, until the proper age to fatten.
believe we ought to breed cattle with
reference to early maturity. I became
convinced that this could be done and
proftably by experiments tried while liv-
ing in N. Y. And since have lived in
Minnesota have fattened all my steers
at years old with one exception, and
those kept until years, and they
weighed only 1880 head, and were sold
for the same price of younger and lighter
cattle.
Now to get good ripe fat steer at
years old, know of no better way than
using thorough bred Durham bulls with
common or grade COWS. l usually have
my calves dropped in March, and let
them suck the cow for day or two, and
| then feed them about 10 lbs. of milk warm
then gradually mix skinned milk with it
for 2 or 8 weeks longer, with little
ground oats fed dry. This brings them
| to 2 months after which skinned milk,
ground or whole oats, good tame pasture,
until 5 months old, then gradually leave
OF the milk and give water. Increase
the oats to about quart head twice a
day. In the fall l usually feed few
| small potatoes once day besides the
oats. They will readily learn to eat po-
tatoes and be exceedingly fond of them.
In winter I tie them in separate stalls.
with manger and feed box, give hay and
quart of whole oats, night and morn
| ings; turn them out every day (unless
| stormy to drink and eat straw and corn
stalks, not forgetting to card them daily.
Thus have steers, II months old, that
averaged 662 lbs, and have cost 1912
| each for feed. The 18th of MayI turned
them out to pasture, with other stock,
giving little ground feed once day for
a few days. After this they rustled for
themselves until October, when I COM
menced feeding my stock frosted corn in
| the stalks scattered about the pasture
This gave the steers good start for feed
ing through the winter. Their average
weight, Dec. 81, after having been in the
stable and fed while, was 1922 lbs.,
gain $50, or 1.6 per day. Since then 1
have fed ground oats and barley, equal
parts, ~ lbs. per day head, with all the
clover hay they will eat. The 10th day
of March weighed them again, under
precisely the same circumstances as to
feed; and they averaged 1,177 lbs, a gain
of 155 lbs. in 80 days or 1.9 per day, and
have cost 13 cents per day, including hay
for feed. I shall keep them 60 days
longer, and put corn in place of barley
with the oats. This I think will round
out and ripen them, as my efforts thus
far have been to make flesh or lean meat
instead of fat. I have no doubt they
will at least make 100 lbs. each in 60
days, which will make the average
weight 1877. At 6 cents per lb. they
will bring the goodly sum of 1862.
The cost for keeping until II months old,
l told you was...........................$19.72
7 months pasturing at 81 per no.. 200
Is cts. per day for months feeding 1850
Total cost Of keeping. %
Deducted from the value of each, leaves
1904 net profit per head; or you may
call it compensation for labor in feeding.
I will give briefly an account of an ex-
pertinent made year ago with 5 steers,
coming 8 years, which I bought, that
we're raised near this place, kept in a
herd in summer, in the barn yard in win
ter. Their care while calves I do not
know, but presume they were fed skim
med milk principally. Bought Jan. LIST,
1888, for $130, or 3 cents per Id. After
feeding them IA days, they weighed
4,67S, average 935. After feeding them
So days on soft corn in the ear, d BUSH
els per day, with hay, 1 weighed them
again: Total 5,O93. Average 1,Ol8,
gain 415, 83 lbs. each, at cost of IL cts.
per day, calling the corn 10 cents per
bushel of ears, hay S. per ton. I then
commenced feeding ground barley and
oats, equal parts. IL lbs. per day, 6 in