The Nevada County picayune., 1911-07-28


 beef animal was mountain of meat and tallow. Pasture land was cheap and labor low in price; so the raiser could afford to keep the animal until 1t weighed a ton before putting it on the market. The buyer wanted this kind of animal, for meat was cheap and the consumer could buy brought about a change in values. As land and labor increased in price the farmer found that the longer he kept an animal the more of his labor went In maintenance and this lessened his profit just that much. Then he found that the higherpriced lands could not be used for beef and that there was more money in raising corn. So men who had been engaged in raising cat tie for market started raising corn and bought their steers from those occupying cheap lands and finished them off themselves. Throughout the corn belt the popular steer has ranged for "A to 90 months old, says the Homestead. The majority of fattened steers went to market at 30 months, weighing from 1.500 to 1850 pounds. The farmer preferred to feed these animals because there was generally good demand for them in the mar ket. When purchased from western cattle raisers they were in thin con- dition, but were rugged. thrifty. had good appetites, and were in the best shape to make rapid gains.
 During the last few years, due to the fact that the sheep industry has been encroaching on the land in the west, and irrigating projects have made fruit raising successful, vast range areas have been cut into small farms for settlers who have no money to invest in cattle. Then, too, great numbers of COWS and young stock are being sent to market each year, with consequent decrease in the number Of breeding animals on the range One of the greatest problems that con fronts the cattle feeder of today is where to get hold of feeders.
 A number of people who used to feed cattle till 24 or 30 months of age in the corn belt are attempting to raise their own calves and market them around 12 months of age or be- tween the ages of 12 and IS months, and weighing from 500 to 1000 pounds. This is what is known as the baby beef" proposition, and it is question that is exciting more in terest every year among cattle feed CTS and producers
 Baby beef has not been popular with steer feeders because under condi- toins formerly existing the man on the range could produce them more cheaply than the man in the corn belt could buy them. The extra land neees- sary for maintaining breeding COWS could be used for corn; the feeding period of the baby beef animal lasted from to 9 or 12 months, while that of the 24 and 30-months-old steer only lasted from 90 to 1S0 days. Then. too greater uniformity and more indica. tions of better breeding are necessary in the baby beef proposition in feeding out older cattle. Greater skill in feed ing and caring for the young animals Is also necessary than in the case of the older ones whose appetites do not have to be catered to. The killer also discriminated against the younger ani nal because the carcass of the older animal usually carried a little frmer flesh than the young animal, and there is less water in the carcass, so that they kill out a larger per cent. of good meat The feeder himself found that unless he exercised great vigilance the young animals shrunk more in be ing shipped to market and finally the | consumer favored the meat from the older animal.
 If the cattle feeder aims to produce his own feeders. he cannot afford tc