Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-21

HeSH enough IoT hllllng purposes.
Most of these cattle were from North
Dakota and Minnesota having been
bred and raised there.
About half of these cattle were
killed after being on feed five months
and the other half We're on feed six
months, making the average of the
bunch of cattle 51a months on feed.
They average 1910 pounds when go.
ing into the feed lot. and AVERAGED
1857 pounds after being fed, making
an average gain of 4S7 pounds per
head. or gain of about 9 mounds
per day per head.
We started these cattle on ear
corn, just giving them a few ears
apiece at first, but kept gradually in.
creasing quantity each day, until at
the end of 80 days, We. had the cat.
tie on full feed. After that we fed
them corn meal, oil meal and bran in
the following proportions: About "a
pounds corn meal, pounds bran and
pounds oil meal per head a day.
we led them twice day, giving them
half of this feed in the morning and
half at night. For roughness we fed
them all the prairie hay they wanted
to eat. kept salt by them all the time
and plenty of good water.
1T is very necessary in starting a
bunch of cattle. to feed them light at
first and gradually increase the feed,
SO that he will stand full feed. After
on full feed their stomachs are in con.
dition to stand it. We do not figure
that our cattle made any particular
gain for the first 80 days, as it takes
80 days to get a steer in condition
so that he will stand full feet. After
the cattle were on full feed we fed
them all they would eat. And the
above amounts shows what each steer
would eat, taking it one day with an.
other.
when we killed these cattle they
were very prime-the whole bunch
yielded 63 per cent beef to each 100
pounds live weight.
They were fed in an open lot with
an open shed for shelter (on the north
end). During the cool weather we
kept the yard well bedded with straw
and the cattle at all times seemed
very comfortable. We do not approve
of tying cattle up and keeping them
in barn where they do not get any
| tie do not do near as we'll that way
| as they do if they run in a yard
where they have shelter.
1--WE did not take any particular
pains in feeding this bunch of cattle
only that we were very particular u
get them onto full feed right. If cat
tie are fed too much on the start ant
their stomachs are not in condition tt
stand heavy feed, it sets them back
and they will not get over it for some
time. During the time we had these
cattle on feed there were a great
many feeders and shippers who looked
at them, and all thought they hat
done remarkably VIII. Any farmer
can feed a bunch OF cattle the same
as we feed these, and do it at a grea
deal less expense, as 1t was necessary
for us to buy everything that we fec
them, and also hire all our work done
| I'm order to have a bunch of cattle
do well. and show good gains, in the
first place, you must have the righ
kind of cattle. You must have a vel
made, blocky. growthy steer going in
to the feed lot in order to get goot
results. as poor feeder will eat a!
much as good one, and will not pu
on near the gain and will not sell fol
near as much as when he is put OF
the market.
"The result of our feeding demon
strates that cattle feding can be Al
successfully done in Minnesota ant
Dakota as Iowa, and more should b.
fed. AS Minnesota ships in from th'
south fully 10000 carcasses of bee
each year, why not feed them in Min
nesOta?"