Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-05-29

Il
in which these products are trans
ported, and to take samples there
FROM for analysis.
Fattening Calves for the July Market.
A Sioux County, Iowa. subscriber
writes: Please give me all the in
formation possible about feeding
calves for baby beef. have had 60
head Of calves on feed since the first
part of November and have been
feeding them cracked corn and oats.
Isexpect to market them about the
first Of July. Would it pay to give
them the run of an eight-acre pas
ture as soon as the grass has Sc
cured good start, and then contin-
ue TO feed the ration they are now
getting, or would it be better to fin
ish them in the dry lot?"
There is considerable difference of
opinion among cattle feeders with
reference to the practicability of
turning fattening cattle to pasture
that are to be marketed from the
first to the middle of July. There
are those who hold that more eco
nomical gains can be made with the
aid Of a good pasture, while others
claim that there is danger of getting
the cattle off feed by turning them
to grass, and that it will lead to
poorer finish than can be secured in
the dry lot Under certain condi-
tions we believe that calves, such
as our correspondent is feeding, can
be finished more economically with
the aid of a pasture than they can
ina dry lot. If a good blue grass
pasture is at hand which went into
winter quarters with a heavy coat Of
grass the danger of getting the
calves off feed by turning them to
pasture is not great, provided they
are put on before the new grass be-
comes very abundant. If turned
into such a pasture they will con-
sumo much Of the old, well cured
grass and get comparatively little of
the new growth at first. In that
manner they become accustomed to
the.succulent feed gradually.
The grain ration will, of course,
have to be reduced when turning
fattening cattle to pasture, but it
should not be reduced except for the
first few days more than necessary.
In other words, the calves should be
fed as llpch grain as they will con-
sumo. Were the pasture was fed
down close fast fall it will be neces-
sary to give the new grass a good
start before turning the calves in,
and, under such conditions, unless
ftheya ase put on the pasture gradual
y ~, $50 hour duriRg the first day,
two hours the second day, etc, nn-
til they can safely bel allowed in the
pasture all day long, there is great
danger of securing and of getting
the calves completely off their feed.
The length of the pasturage period
under such conditions is reduced,
and, taking it all in all, it is ques-
tionable whether it would not be
better to finish them in the dry lot.
Under the conditions of our cores
pondent, where only an eight-acre
pasture is available for 60 calves,
we believe that he will find it more
profitable to finish them in the dry
lot than to turn them on such
small pasture, where at the best
they could only get small amount
Of green feed.
With reference to the feed fed, it
must be borne in mind that calves
need ration rich in protein for best
results. Glover hay is much more
profitable roughage for calves than
timothy hay because of the fact that
it contains more protein and because
calves will eat more of clover than
of timothy. A ration composed of
two thirds corn and one-third oats,
or of three-fourths corn and one
fourth bran, or of seven-eights corn
and one-eighth oil meal, should give
satisfactory results fed in connection
with clover hay. When timothy hay
is fed instead of clover hay, as is the
case in this instance, we would add
q little more of the protein bearing
foods mentioned--oats, bran or oil
meal-to make up for tho lack Of
protein in the hay. Toward the lat
ter part of the feeding period as
much as Is or 20 per cent. of the
grain ration may be composed of
oil meal. The protein bearing
foods, bran, oats or oil meal, that
should be fed in connection with
corn will depend upon the relative
prices Oats are high priced at
present and it will probably be
cheaper for our correspondent to
feed bran than oats, and possibly
still cheaper to feed oil meal in
| place of either oats or bran. Bran
is worth about SIS ton at this
point, while oil meal may be pur-
chased at $3.50 in ton lots and in
large quantities at S26 per ton. At
the latter price per ton, oil meal is
cheaper than bran at SIT or $lS
per ton, because it contains over
twice as much digestible protein as
bran, and it is its protein content
that gives it its high feeding value
as concentrate to be fed with corn
We should be pleased to hear from
some of oAr readers who have had
, experience with finishing baby beei
on grass for the early summer mar.
ket.-Farmers' Tribune.
Payment No Evidence Of Guilt.
\ Effort to settle civil suit fol
> damages is not an evidence of gull
). of criminal offense which may bt