The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1911-12-14

find that as the age increases the
amount of feed necessary to make a
pound of gain increases very much.
The cheaper gains are made while the
animal is young and for this reason
success generally comes TO the mar
who keeps everything growinf from
babyhood up. 1t costs considerable
more to get an animal back in shape
after it has once lost the young fat
than it would have done to have kept
him growing. An animal can lose
five or ten times more in n day
than ear be put back on in the same
time, and for this reason one day s
starving or other poor conditions
means a great loss to the average
farmer. We cannot expect to have
exactly two animals grow where one
has grown before, but we ought to
get the animals much larger at the
same age than we are in the habit
of doing in this section. Remember
always then to be a little lenient with
feed for the young stock, as there is
no time that so much can be made
from feed as while the animals are
young.
In feeding for breeding animals
or just for growth. we should be very
careful to supply food that will make
for plenty of bone and muscle, and
this we get from our protein feeds,
such as alfalfa. DO not fed your
breeding animals too much, especial
ly of a concentrated fattening feed,
but give them enough to keep them
in good healthy condition. This does
80 ,,c,, ~Irf, 49, rIo aAnIfffar
that we find SO many of our western
animals in, but means that they are
in such shape that all of the func-
tions of their body are working in
normal condition In feeding for
market, the fattening foods "a be
used to a greater extent, and one
does not have to be so careful about
the proportion or musc,e and bone
building material. The west has a
habit of sending their animals to the
markets in Just half fat condition,
and as sucn they are always sold at
reduced prices. If more care would
be taken to have everything in good
shape, greater profits could be real
lied with practically all of our live
stock. Horses, for instances, are Of
ten sold when in thin condition and
the buyers feeding them a few dol
lars worth of grain add from $25 to
$50 to their value. This could be
done just as well by the farmer him
self, thus realizing a good deal bet
ter profit for his livestock.
In feeding beef cattle in the west,
we need but little in the way of barns
though an open shed has some adj
vantages, as it keeps out the wet and
excessive cold. With alfalfa hay we
found that but very little grain
is necessary in order to make good
gains with beef steers. In expert
ments conducted at the Utah station,
gains of nearly two pounds a day
were secured on an average of about
four pounds of grain when fed with
At 81 a ton for the alfalfa
and about $22 for the grain, fairly
cheap gains were made, and if ami
mails were purchased and sold in a
good way, profit could be made from
this business. Wild hay is also a
good feed for beef cattle. especially
If some grain can be fed in coniunc-
ion. In some sections, however, no.
along the Bear river, prOfita-
Die feeding is carried on every win
.er with hay alone. The cheapest
v e reported in feeding wheat
or beef were made in the west when
and beet pulp were used. If
he farmer can get hold of beet
}ulp and fed il with good hay, he
would find remarkably good gains
an be made and at a good profit.
inc thing we should get over in our
Western beef business is feeding our
teers until they are three and four
ears old, as the profits are gener-
lily much larger when the animals
re sold at younger ages.
In feeding the dairy COW, we have
ute a different proposition, as the
airy animal has no layer of fat like
he beef animal to keep her warm.
this reason, good barns should
e supplied wherever dairy COWS are .
be kept. A dairy animal does
lore work than practically any other .
nimal on the farm and one cannot
ford to have her food going to pro-
uce heat to keep her warm under
dverse conditions. A good. warm
omforteble stable should be sup
lied. The dairy COW is a factory
hich uses a large amount of rough /
ed, works it over, and gives milk,
lie concentrated product. If then,
lie animal is supplied with good raw
'oducts, a large amount of milk can
2 manufactured. Straw and poor =
cannot make enough energy to !
UGH more than keep up the body y
sat of the animal and of course =
ere would be no excess from which y
make milk. Dairy COWS should y
a liberal allowance of good al y
ia, and should be fed in connec- e
On some grain and roots. Ground .
lrley, bran, or rolled oats can be y
led to supply the grain. The bran p
a protein feed and does not bal =
ice the alfalfa nearly as well as !,
e barley, yet it is liked by the COWS ~ =,
d is generally a part of every dali n \,
ration. 1t has been found, how q "
er, that not more than three ;,
unds can be fed per day with al !"
lfa with any degree of profit.
The dairymen at Richmond found
at they could bring in corn and f
it with bran and alfalfa to a
Carloads are purchased ev- p