Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-12-23
THE BEEF STEER.
Some Fasts Concerning the Kansas Cat
tie Industry. From Secretary
Ooburn

~ d -
~ seminating practical
81 information pertain
@lZ ing. to this impor'
tant subject, has interviewed several
hundred of the men longest, most sue
cessfully and most extensively engaged
in cattle fattening especially, in the
various counties of the state. In con
nection with much other pertinent and
useful matter. the statements of a
large and representative number OF
these are given in the pages that fol
low. A resume or average, made from
a careful analysis of the statements
furnished by these cattlemen as to
many principal features connected
with and discovered from their busi-
ness operations, is presented, thus:
The average length of time those
ness Of beef production in Kansas is
19 years.
the average Of the ages they recon
mend for tie castraLiOn of bull CALVES,
ranging from one hour to one year, is
54 days.
Their recommendation for the feed
ing of calves the first winter is wheat
bran and shelled corn, or bran and
oats, in sufficient quantities, with hay
or other coarse feed, to keep them
thrifty and growing.
A large majority favor dehorned or
b ,rness cattle, and say that for the
IA tening lot such cattle have 10 per
cent greater value than those with
horns. Thirty reports give them a
greater value of IL cents per 100 pounds;
26 place is at $2O5 per head. The
higher price they say fat cattle with
out horns are likely To sell for averages
134 cents per 100 pounds.
The time rsquirei for properly and
safely changing cattle from grass to
full or maximum grain diet is %
days, or from corn-stalk fields, l6
DAYS.
With two exceptions, all say, extra
labor codsidered, it is not profitable it,
Kansas to keep fattening cattle tied in
stalls.
Forty'four per cent. advise keeping
grain constantly accessible to fatten
ing cattle, and 56 Der cent. say it is
best to feed twice daily, and only SC
much at each msai as will ba eaten be-
fore the next feeding.
Ninety per cent. say it is profitable
to grind some or all of the grain; and
the average cost of grinding is given
as Il cents pei bushel. Ten per cent.
say grinding is not profitable.
Those who have soaked corn for
fattening cattle say its value is en-
hanced 2l per cent thereby.
Those who have fed wheat bran with
corn esteem it highly, saying it aids
digestion, lessons the quantity of other
and perhaps more costly foods required
and hastens fattening. From 1o to q
per cent (by weightl of wheat bran fec
with shelled or ground corn is reported
profitable, when bran costs no more
than So 40 per ton.
AtuSOcU VII Jdhc 10 pIoISOu OJ
those who have fed it with corn. anC
40 feeders say they are justified in US
ing more or less of it at cost not ex-
ceeding Sl9 20 per ton, as a very desir
able adjunct of corn costing 25 cents
per bushel. A smaller number report
favorably on the use of limited guam
titles of cotton seed meal
The cost of grazing in pastures aver
aged with that on open ranges is 8:
cents per month.
Eighty per cent favor the use Of
loose or barrel salt, and 20 per cent
prefer rock salt for the feed lot or pas.
ture. The principal objections offered
to rock salt are, that cattle spend too
much time licking it in order to satisfy
their wants, and that in doing so theil
tongues ale likely to be made sore.
Using as a basis of comparison oi
value wild prairie lblue stem) hay a
s. per ton as forage or ..rougness" fol
cattle beiig fattened with grain, ths
Kansas cattlemen on the average rats
other forage with it like this: Rec
clover, at sa.so per tons alfalfa, 81