The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-05
EXPERIMENTS MADE
IN FEEDING STOCK
Help Solve Cost of Living in
Alabama
GOVERNMENTS WORK
. The Experiments We're Made on the
Farms of Cobb and Mcmillan of
acknowledgements Are
Most Satisfactory
GOVERNMENTS WORK

Washington, August 4.-(Special.)-
That the high cost of living may be
materially decreased so far as 1t re-
lates to the people of Alabama, is
thoroughly demonstrated by the bu-
reau of animal industry of the depart
ment OF agriculture in a recent bulle-
tin treating on the departments re-
cent experiments in scientific meth
DDS OF fattening calves in Alabama.
The bulletin says by way of intro
duction:
1.-THE beef cattle business can be, and
usually is, divided into two parts
breeding and fattening. AS a rule the
man who raises the calf does not finish
it on his farm for the market, he
usually sells 1t to neighb oring far
iner who makes a business of fatten-
ing and preparing the calf or steer for
the market. Thus the feeder often
times has no interest at all In raising
the calves.
Probably the ideal condition, at least,
for Alabama and adjacent states, is for
the calf to be raised and finished on
the same farm. But this ideal condition
can seldom be realized because the man
who raises the calf has, as rule, only
"A few cows and can seldom afford to
take the time and trouble to fatten the
few calves which these cows bring each
year. Even could he do so, he could
seldom afford to ship them TO the large"
markets, so he is at the mercy of the
local buyers. As result of this condi-
lion of affairs the professional feeder has
developed.
His business is to collect calves and
steers into carload lots and prepare them
foR> the open market.
THE farmer who has as many as 81
breeding cows on his farm should make
II a rule to fatten their offspring him
self; he can seldom afford to sell the
calves to the professional feeder, The
scder usually makes money on the pro-
cess OF fattening, and the man who raises
the calves in sufficient numbers should
Keep this extra profit at home. Further
laore the farmer who has from to Il
calves or steers ready for the feed lot
Aslll usually find II profitable TO buy a
sufficient number of feeders to complete
the load, and he can then finish them all
on his own farm"
The bulletin then goes into an exhaus-
tive analysis Of the reasons for iatten-
ing calves while young instead of wait
ing until they are from . TO years old,
and then it gives tho res:lta obtained in
the experiments carried on upon the
farms of Messrs. Cobb AID Mcmillan OF
sumteryille. Ala.
The calves used in his work. were high
grade animals. Scrubs are hardly prof
table. especially if they are TO be finished
for the market while they are young.
High price feeds canrot be rrofltably fell
TO low priced cattle as rule.
The calves used In this experiment while
not pure bred were in most cases nearly
80. They were grade. Shorthorns, Aber-
deen-Angus, Herefords and Red Polls the
majority being from one-eight to seven
Fights pure.
feeding began, the calves averaging 3SS
pounds In weight.
The gains for the first preliminary feed
ing dates from November n to December
Z showed gains from 2.05 pounds to 2.2l
pounds per calf per day, and the regular
feeding period from December to March
II showed a gain of from 1,6l pounds to
1.59 pounds per day in each calf.
The bulletin then rrocce Is to show In
detail the cost OF the feed used and that
In spite Of the fact t,'at wnen the calves
were sold there was depression in the
market, profit was realized in this first
experiment, of from 81 As per calf In class
3 to s2.25 per calf in class l.
The prices for the feed for these calves
we're fixed at the highest market price
although raised on the farms of those
doing the experimental work.
The bulletin concludes with the state
ment that tine results were more than sat
isfactory, and in addition the farm crops
were sold for considerably more, by
means of the calves, than II they had
been sold as farm crops. and tie value
of the fertilizer should also be consid-
cred.