The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-03-15
MULES OR STEERS ?
Mr.. French Insists that for Profit the Steer Stands at
the Top.
Editors Progressive Farmer:

In your issue OF February 10Th, MI. d. =. Gates
in his olive Stock in North Carolina" expresses
my sentiments exactly when advocating a larger
production of horses and mules in the State. In
fact, we are growing mules in a small way along
the very line he suggests, viz, grade draft mares
and large jack, and have in our barn to-day what
I believe he would consider a very fair mule, nine
months old, weight $50 pounds, fine carriage,
about IA hands high, and splendid heavy bone.
His dam is out of a high-grade Shire mare, about
1000 pounds weight, and was sired by a fine 1000
pound Persheron stallion. This mule colt, if
nothing happens to him, will bring at four years
from $175 to 5000.
Now this business is all right, but when Mr..
Gates goes in to compare these high-class mules
with a $50 steer of the same age, the writer wants
his figures, as it has been our experience that the
same Judgment, breeding, and care that is re
quired to produce a $175 four-year-old mule will
produce a $75 two-yearold steer. While a mare
to produce the sort of mule we are after will cost
from $3.50 to $3.50, we can purchase COWS to pro-
duce calves that will grow into the above described
steer, at $40.
In this breeding business our experience has
led us to know that we must figure on about IS
per cent on cost of our breeding females to cover
depreciation in value each year and interest on
the original investment. At this rate the yearly
expense on the mare at $3.50 would be $27, this
added to the interest for four years on value of
the mule (Which would amount to $31. 5O), would
bring our expense for interest to $3.50, to which
must be added $40 service fee, making a total e-
pense of $3.50, with the further items of taxes
and insurance-One mare one year and mule for
four years-our account would sta1. at about
$75, which must be charged to Mr.. Mule.
Now let us see about the steer account. The
interest on the value of COW at $40 would amount
to S1.2O. Interest on steer for two years 1915,
taxes and insurance on COW one year and on steer
for two years about 1.7O. service fee So, making
Il total expense of $685..
Feed for the mule and steer for two years would
cost about $50 each. Then we have another years
feeding to charge to the mule, which would easily
amount to $33-we say nothing of the fourth year
feeding, as the work the mules would do would
pay that item.
Summing it up we find our mule has cost us
S75 interest, plus $35, plus $33, total $143. Which
sum subtracted from $175, leaves us a profit of
S32.
The steer has cost us $685., plus $50. total
$51.65. The selling price less this amount leaves
us a profit of $23.35 on the steer.
These figures make the mule bring a net profit
of 1855 more than the net profit on the steer.
But let us go a little farther and consider the
fact that in case of loss by death of the mare we
lose $3.50, about four times the loss we would
sustain through the death of the COW. While with
the mule the loss would be from $75 to $175, the
loss of the steer would amount to less than half
of. that and the risk on the mule is for two years
longer than ON the steer.
Our experience has been that if in breeding of
mares we secure 60 per cent of foals we do well