The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-01-31
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE FEEDING OUTLOOK.
Problem that Depends Materially
ON Local Conditions and the
Market Prospect.

There is need of experimentation
in feeding corn to cattle on grass.
Two neighbors, Mr.. William Patrick
and Joseph Ware, each had a bunch
1T two-year-old steers. Mr.. Patrick
fed ali:ut 1000 bushels of corn to his
cattle on bluegrass pasture. MIR.
Ware fec nothing, but allowed his
Mr.. Wares cattle made the greater
gain during the summer. Who has
additional experiences and facts ON
this subject? Our intention has been
to take good range calves right from
their mothers. put them in the feed
lot and keep the baby fat on thea
with alfalfa, silage and corn, turn
them ON alfalfa in the spring, and
feed corn on alfalfa, finishing them
for market by November or Decem-
Der, when about eighteen months I, Id.
We believe in this plan, but it is yet
improved. Now we are ready to Put
the calves in the feed-lot, and ranches
are holding them at what seem pro-
hibitive prices. And our last falls
calves are yet on hand. They had No
corn last winter, and none this sum-
mer; they are getting it now, but
will not be fat for several months.
We find a surprising divergence OF
views rs to how many pigs should
fellow cattle fed ear or shock corn.
Same say put three 50-pound pigs to
a steer. We find if we feed our cat
tie inst what they want and eat up
clean the re is not a great amount of
undigested corn voided. Corn is not
very hard yet. We think one good
sheet to. the steer is enough. These
steers sre eating a great many pump
lsins, quito lot of alfalfa hay, and
nearly twenty pounds of corn daily.
They have the run of a small woods
pasture.
There was never time when feed
ers were more uncertain of the out
c,me. Prices of pork are altogether
t,c high. 1t is real hardship to the
laboring man to have to pay for his
bacon from Is to 20 cents per pound.
Beef, il would seem. is higher tkxn
it can possibly remain. Mutton alone
seems on a reasonable basis. All re-
ports tell of immense numbers of
cattle going on feed. Is there really
to be more meat produced than will
be wanted? 1t looks that way to me.
To one who travels through the cat
tie and sheep country and sees the
cverstocked condition almost every
where, it seems as though we were on
the verge of collapse. Yet our con-
sumers are ir creasing perhaps faster
than the cattle, and after all the de-
terioraiion of many western ranges
and the drought in the southwest
have made more apparent the over-sup-
ply of stock than the real situation
would warrant. Lamb feeders have n
happy faith that seems almost child
like; the only limit to their takings
is the number sent in, and the only
limit to the numbers sent in is the
ability Of the railways to carry them.
The ranges must reduce numbers, or
starvation will reduce them
Nevertheless we have put into our
pdTHs our usual 'Vo WcStciH idHDs,
and while we feel that it may be a
good year to stay out yet, with all
arranged to feed and the feed piled
up, we think best to keep right on.
And with our system of feeding ear
corn and alfalfa hay we have re-
duoed the cost of mutton-making to
the minimum. But there will be three
times the number of sheep and lambs
fed here that there was last year, and
many more cattle. Let us hope ever,
man in the United States and Great
Britain will have a good job, good
pay, and a hankering after meat for
years to come.-Joseph E. Wing, IN
Breeders Gazette.