Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1903-11-19
CATTLE
SHOULD BE NURSED.

George T.. McEathron whose breed
ing farm Is situated In Beadle county,
South Dakota, and who Is one of the
most successful raisers of pure blood
cattle in the Northwest, furnishes
some interesting information in regard
to the development OF this feature OF
the cattle raising industry in South
Dakota and the importance of improy-
ing cattle herds. After stating that
he placed $4,000 bull at the head oil
his herd, he said:
THE calves are kept in a darkened
barn away from the files during the
day. and the cows are allowed to come
in from the pasture morning and even
ing to sucKle them. The calves are
allowed an hours exercise in large
lot twice a day, and are fed whole
oats or whole corn and bran. or a mix
ture of ground corn, barley and spell
with little fiaxseed meal to keep
them regulated.
ANY grain feed will do, so that
they get used to 1t, and care Is taken
that they are not overfed. They have
all the hay they can eat Alfalfa hay
as long as it lasts, then millet hay
cut green. or good bottom land hay,
and they have access to warm artes-
ian water at all times. All the calves
get the same treatment. except few
designed for show purposes that are
separated from the others about sixty
days before the show season begins,
and these are halier-broken and
groomed and also weaned, If old
enough. If not they are supplied with
an extra quantity of milk and an ex-
ira amount of oil cake to give the hair
glossy appearance, and to put them
in what Is known as bloom. An ami
nal in bloom will get the preference
over one finished hard and with dry.
stiff hair. If quality is about the same.
THE yearlings are handled some
what different. During grass season
the heifers run on grass alone, but
daring the winter season they have a
small allowance of grain to keep them
in good heat. with plenty of hay and
warm artesian water. The young
bulls intended for sale are never with
out grain, so that when purchasers
look them over they find them always
in sale condition.
1T is only the rich man that can
afford to keep his cattle poor. One
who depends on the cattle business
for living is compelled TO keep his
cattle in good condition or his cattle
will not keep him When cows reach
the age of three years they are turned
In IN, nj, nrl 10 n
ing and receive no more grain unless
they are sucking calves and need it
to keep in respectable condition,
which is not often the case with Here
fords, their keeping qualiLes on grass
alone being conceded by all to be par
amount.
THE animals intended for show are.
of course, never without grain of some
kind. They spend all their time,
night and day, in the pasture, but be
side grass, they receive small al
lowance OF grain every day until show
season approaches, when they are put
on full feed and are shown fat. Com
plant II often heard that animals are
shown needlessly fat This is. rarely
'Of ''N'' S1pr VI phNthy ihh uiS VA
desirable, bul beef breeds are shown
for the purpose OF demonstrating their
ability to lay on flesh and are an oh.
ject lesson along this line, and a thin
one is an injury TO the breed he repre-
sents, and as it rarely gets inside the
money II had better be left at home
THE old saying that a pure blood
can be raised as cheap as a scrub is
not true. The foundation stock cost
more.
THE equipment must be better and
there are incidental expenses at every
turn that amount to considerable
sum, a great number of which can be
avoided If only common cattle are
handled. 1ren IL costs something to
advertise and to entertain prospective
purchasers. ii 1t costs more to raise
them the amounts received by the sale
of the increase are also greater, to
which is added the joy and pride OF
having good animals to sell, which is
one form of compensation.
For instance, sell yearlings at an
average of about $3.50 each and oc-
casionally get much more. Just now
1t would take eight yearlings of com
mon cattle to amount to $3.50, and this
is where the economy of handling pure
blooded animals is. For the same
amount of money invested they take
up less space. they yield larger re
turn upon the investment and with
reasonable care both in maintenance
and breeding the herd becomes more
valuable each year, besides offering a
stimulous to bring out the best one is
capable OF doing,
Every farmer cannot handle pure
blooded cattle. OF course. but every
farmer who has a decided preference
for good cattle could start with a few
head at very little expense and
could care for them at practically no
greater expense than II costs to main
tain his grade cattle. and by dispos
ing of the males and retaining the fe-
males the natural increase would in a
few years amount to considerable.
Il have an acquaintance in Kansas
,.,tf 4,