The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-11-25
Management of Steer Calves.

III cOnIlou WICA OtueT lurulefs VIII
raise cattle am DESTROYS of knowing
the best and most profitable method of
managing steer calves until they are
ready for the feed lot, says G. G. Wheel
er of Kansas, writing to the Prairie
Farmer; and while one person can sell
dom successfully adopt the methods of an
other wholly, still there is great help to
he derived from an exchange of ideas.
l have had over twenty years of expert
| ence in Eastern Kansas in raising cat
tie on moderate scale, i'll connection
with my other farming operations and
for the purpose of feeding OH the farm
the crops produced, thus maintaining and
incrcas sing the fertility of the soil and
rearing from fifteen to thirty calves each
year. During these years l have learned
much both from experience and Observa-
ton, but fully realize that do not know
it all yet. 1t has been said rega riding
the human family that the training of
the child should begin many years be-
fore the child is born, and also that it is
| a great thing to be well born, and be-
lieve that it is true that good parentage
| animals. So in regard to the steer, he
should be the direct descendant of some
one Of the beef breeds. His sire should
be pure-bred and his dam at least high
grade. Good blood is the foundation of
profitable steer-raising, but it must be
built upon by good care aud proper feed.
ing. The advantage that the improved
ability to respond to good feed and man.
agement by giving in return large de-
velopment of the parts that make the
choice cuts on the butchers block. AS
hustlers they are not equal to the scrub,
for improved cattle cali for improved
care and plenty of feed. AS to the best
! management of the steer in his youth,
that must depend great deal on circum.
stances, location and the resources of his
owner. AS have considerable amount
of land that must be kept in grass, and
have no taste or inclination for dairying
OH a large scale, l find it best to let the
| calves suck until they are from to 6
months old. However, as l live within
range of cheese factory, always milk
a few cows and for this purpose select the
best, letting the poorer ones raise the
calves. give two to one COW when nee
essary and let them to the cow night and
morning, but put them in a pasture by
themselves during the day. The bulls
are usually castrated when about 80
days old and dehorned from 6 months to
year old. The first winter they are
put in yard by themselves, have a good
shed for sheltere7and are fed hay, and
SuHletiIutS 1Ouut&1, llDcEdllys lueS are
also given abottt four quarts each per
day of cornmeal and bran i'll equal parts.
The usual gain i$ about one pound per
day each. When Erass comes they are
put on pasture and stay there until snow
comes or the. grass becomes too short
to sustain them. The second winter they
are fed on hay, straw and fodder-pnrt
of the fodder .ha wing the corn oh It, the
aim being to feed them 30 they will make
about the same rate Of kain DIS during
the previous winter. In the spring they
are again put on grass, and in September
are put in the. feed lot and after feeding
from $50 to 200 days are ready for mar
ket, weighing around 1850 pounds. l do
not think it profitable to feed any more
grain than is necessary to keep them in
thrifty, growing condition before they
go into the feed lot. It has seemed best
for me so far. to make growth principally
with grass, hay and fodder, and after Il
good frame has been made to put OH the
fat with corn But l am constantly OH
the watch for better methods in all lines
of farm MANAGEMENT, and then, also. con-
ditions and circumstances may change so
| that five years hence my way of manag
| ing calves may be very different. The
essentials l believe to be, good beef
breed, intelligent care, shelter and plenty
of feed. The kind of feed and details
| Of management must depend on circum-
| stances, surroundings and the idens of
| the man who rears the calves. He must
| solve these problems for himself.