The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1903-07-30
Grain Ration for steers.

In the heart of the corn belt, where
feeding operations are conducted on q
much larger scale than In this state,
the steer In usually supplied corn nd
libitum, says Professor w. A. Henry.
Often this grain is thrown TO him In
such quantities that all Of II Is not
even swallowed, some falling to the
ground TO be trampled under foot In
the NTH. possibly to be picked up by
pigs running in the feed lot. In many
OF our middle western states from
twenty to thirty pounds. in a few
cases as much az thirty.Hve pounds,
OF corn are fed TO the steer daily for
weeks at time. Then, too, there is
little variety to the feed given. Some
times corn constitutes the sole con-
centrate and straw. hay, or moro often
cornstalks, constitute the only rough.
age. IL Is true that as a rule we In
wisconsin do not place quite so much
grain before our steers as do the feed.
ers farther south. but still the allow.
ance is heavy. and there is often no
thought OF attempting to reduce II In
any way. When corn was cheap
only few dollars q ton-it did not
matter much whether the steer ate .
few pounds more or less. especially
In seasons when cattle sold we'll. The
cost Of corn, however, is steadily RI.
sing, and this increase 10 not alto.
gether mot BY an equal rise in the
prize Of fat cattle. The burning ques-
tion, then. IL, Is II possible to fatten
our steers on a smaller allowance Of
grain than has been customary in the
past? In helping answer this ques.
tion let me first call the attention TO
feeding operations in Great Britain.
No one can say that the beeves Of
Scotland and England when sent to
market are not well fattened. What
is the practice OF the English and
Scotch farmer in regard to the
amount Of grain which he allows his
bullocks? have spent considerable
time in going through the literature
On the subject, and am surprised TO
find that the British feeder gives to
his fatten'lg beeves but a small grain
| allowance. Searching authentic
sources Of information. I find that the
usual grain allowance for the fatten.
ing steer in England and Scotland
ranges from six to eight pounds a
head daily. In few cases II reached
ten pounds, and In only one case out
OF a score or more of reports have
found II stated that so much as twelve
pounds OF grain was fed TO a steer
In n single day, and this amount only
at the close OF the feeding period. The
grains used in Britain consist usually
OF barley. cornmeal. cottonseed meal
and linseed meal. You all know that
the turnip or rutabaga, as We call II
is extensively used In feeding opera
tons In Great Britain. With the
small grain ration is fed from so te
100 pounds of sliced turnips. four OF
five pounds OF cut straw, and from
five to ten pounds OF hay. either Gu
or long. On this ration the steer II
England and Scotland makes a gair
OF between one and three-quarteri
and two pounds daily, or say, from
fifty to sixty pounds per month. Their,
Is no need Of saying that the Englisl
stockman does not fatten his bullocki
or that they are inferior to ours wher
they are sold for the block. Tn,
English stockman, as a rule, has goot
cattle, and he usually puts them OF
the market In a finished condition.