The Opelousas courier., 1891-11-28
THE FATTENING OFSTEERS
HOW CORN IS SCIENTIFICALLY
TURNED INTO TISSUE.

Slaughter House.
Western dressed beef, says the New
| York Times, is sound corn converted
into flesh by scientific processes that
have been evolved by a generation OF
stock farmers and packers working hand
in hand. The best dressed beef is that
| of the steer fattenel upon the ranges Of
the so-calle1 ''corn belt" which, roughly
speaking, includes a large portion of
Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Ne
braska.
An Enclosure of five acres is considered
amply sufficient for the feeding of a herd
of five hundred or a thousand steers.
Feeders endeayor to include a portion Of.
some natural water course within the
feeding pens. Otherwise, water is fur
nished by driven wells, which, upon the
Western prairie lands, are sure to tap a
water bearing stratum a few feet beneath
the surface. The water is pumped by
windmills. The feeder also tries to in
| clude clumps of trees and broken areas
of bluff within the feeding pen. In the
winter, when the billiards come sweep
ing down from the pole, the shelter OF
bluffs and trees enables the cattle to sur
vive an otherwise fatal storm. In the
centre of the feeding pen is a large rack,
three feet across the base, and charging
toward the top. These hay racks hold
three tons of hay and also furnish shell
ter. They are kept filled with hay, and
the steer is at all times allowed to eat its
fill.
After it has become accustomed to its
new lodgings it is fed with corn, not get
ting much at first for fear it may
"founder." The first few days the steer
is fed sparingly 'snap corn which is
corn upon the ear with tie husk unre-
moved, each steer being allowed a half
dozen ears. This allowance is increased
day by day, and at the end OF four weeks
the steer is disposing of half a bushel Of
shellae corr per day. Hereafter it may
eat as much shelled corn as it wants, and
if it is strong and healthful it has passed
one of the most critical periods of corn
feeding. If a number of the steers are
found to be sick or ailing, the herd is
deprived of much of its corn ration, and
the process OF ''puttiug them upon their
feed" is begun over again.
No dogs are allowed about the in
closures. "Scrub" Western cattle are
excluded from the pens where the na-
tiyes are being fed. Western 'scrubs"
have a trace of wild and lawless blood
in their veins, and upon the least occa-
sion are liable to create a row. A steer
that Is suffering from wet and cold does
not increase in flesh. It is, therefore,
necessary to have a part of the yard dry,
where the cattle may rest and find pro-
lection from the wind. Feeding cattle
are allowed all the water that they can
drink, but as cold water checks the d.
gestive processes, the water is kept con-
stantly warm by a fire beneath the water
troughs.
In the winter time the cattle huddle
together for mutual protection again st
cold and wind. When there is any
protection in the way of bluffs or trees,
cattle rarely freeze. The great fatality
among cattle on Western ranches is due
10 absolute lack of protection, and rarely
to the intense cold itself. Many range
cattle owe their death to the fact that
they uncover the prairie grasses with
their noses rather than with their hoofs.
When the ''northers' sweep down across
the plains the crust upon the snow be.
comes thick, and the cattle often strive
in vain to break the hard covering, and
die oil starvation. It is a trying time
upon the feeding ranch when the banks
of gray clouds upon the horizon indicate
that a blizzard is at hand. These fieree
storms often continue for three or -four
DAYS without intermission. During
blizzard cattle In an exposed yard will
keep on the move as long as possible,
finally they huddle close together at thu
! lower end of the enclosure, and seldom
freeze when in good condition. If ther'
is a shed close at hand insufficient 10
the accommodation of the entire herd
the animals outside push until many o
: chose in the bunch are thrown down an
tranpled under foot.
The steer is kept on full feed from
/ tour to SIX months. as its condition an;
, the constautly-varying market my de
3 mand. Under the most favorable condi
!: tions it will gain three pounds a day
Ordinarily it will increase its weight b
, daily increment Of a pound and a quar-
! ter OF two pounds, and has gained 80
pounds during the stay in the feeding
!, pen. The quality of the beaf is better
: md d steak from the steer will be fouu
: streaked with innumerable lines of IA
), This fat is nard corn converted into AM
nal tissue. Hogs are fattened with ca
: tie. Like all other natural products tt
? steer attains a certain stage of perfection
Such a steer is s'ripe," and should /
hurried off to the shambles Witho,
Q delay. An experienced feeder is able I
! tell at a glance when the animals Of b
= herd are ripe.
: The steer, when 'ripe," is broad aero
the back, its body is large and round
aud its hide is sleek and glossy.
!, spends a large portion of the time on til
: ground, rises with difficulty and soon Lie
!. down again. It is now a different an
NAL from the fierce steer that left tt
far Western range From thirty
! thirty-four steers could then be tran.
: ported in a single cattle car. No
eighteen can barely find stan ding roo
in a similar space. The access Of ma
ketable beef equals $50 pounds. Dlrin
the process of conversion the steer hs
e used up two acres of wild prairie pa
S ture, has devoured a toa and a halt
|. prairie hay, or millet, has consume
,e ninety bushels of shell ed corn, and h