The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-02

The subject of feeding cattle is one of in
ereasing interest in Minnesota, and the North
west generally. 1t is a growing Industry
and every one engaged in 1t has his IN
dividual experience to record. Much depends
for success upon the manner in which the
business is conducted, and some undoubted-
ly make more than others in the work. Below
is given the experience of NJ. Gilfllan, the
well known farmer, q large scale, in this
state as contributed by him to the Orange
Judd Farmer. Mr.. Giifillan, will be seen
by his statement, has gone abou. the bust
ness methodically and with a double pur-
pose in view. The first is, of course, to
make money. The second is to develop
the industry along lines with spe
cial reference to the production of high
class beef cattle. His remarks, therefore,
are especially instructive, well inter-
eStng. They are as follows:
feed about 800 head of steers each year,
shipping them to Chicago when they approxi
mate LOO lbs. They are usually in prime
condition, and most of them are bought for
export. l usually buy the calves when five
to eight months old from neighboring farmers.
They are about half or three-Quarters Short
horn. For my own part l would prefer
feeding Polled Angus. if I could get them,
as l consider them harder. l began thirteen
years ago with the Angus cattle, but it
TOO great task to convince people that
they were desirable About six years ago
! abandoned black cattle and now breed Short
horns, which / sell to my neighbors. Calves
six months old usually bring me about SIS
each. Cattle of this grade are worth four
prove the blood of the cattle in the neighbor-
hood, so that when l buy the calves I can
get good feeders
There are no set rules fer feeding The
condition of the cattle, the price of the diff
ferent kinds of feeds the relative abundance
OF each, and the preference of the feeder
will determine what must be used When
1w1 hoU
barns and sheds to run in and where they
can be fed and watered if necessary. I aban-
doned the stall and stanchion method long
ago; My general plan is about as follows
plan to send about $50 steers to market
Nov. l. l feed peck of corn daily from JAM
] Of that year until May l, then turn them
into pasture and continue feeding the same
amount of grain until Aug. 1. At this time
they are put on full feed of sheled corn
til Sept. l, when they receive three pounds
of oil meal each day until they are market
ed. During this period of three months 1
aim to keep corn constantly in the feed
troughs. Water is at hand at all times The
cattle when sold are about 81 months cid.
The second lot Of cattle, of about the same
number, l begin feeding Jan. l, and give
them about eight pounds OF corn and in addl-
ton all the hay, fodder coarse roughage
they will eat until grass comes then I in
crease the corn ration TO about twelve pounds
daily feeding this amount until Sept 1, after
which they are put on a full feed of husked
corn with three pounds of the meal to fin
ish. They are generally ready for market
about Dec. 90 These are shipped when SO
months old. The cattle that are fed corn
in the shock are fed in two large pastures,
which are covered with heavy coating of
blue grass. These are changed each day and
i are followed low by stock cattle, which eat up
much that the fattening stock will leave.
1t is difficult to say how much it costs to
make pound of beef, but under favorable
conditions l think pound Of beef and u
pound oil pork can be made for every twelve
pounds of sound fed the animal The
grain alone represents two-thirds of the cost
OF the product and to this must be added
sheds, barns, etc, with labor and interest
on the Investment. Those who desire to
get rich feeding cattle must expect to creep
along slowly II in the end they succeed
they are very apt to keep what they have
acquired.