The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-04-16
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YOUNG BEEF Is THE
MOST PROFITABLE
BY John NJ. Scott, or University
Of Florida.
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At the Experiment Station farm,
during the spring of 1908, fifteen ma
tive Florida cows were selected. From
these fifteen cows, twelve calves were
produced. One cow failed to breed;
second COW was found to be in calf
when the experiment started. and was
discarded; while the third COW met
with an accident and aborted.
The calves were born from January
to June q, 1909. Three Of them
were born in January, two in Febru-
airy, one in March, five in April, and
ono in June. This variation of age
covered about the entire breeding sea-
sen as practiced by Florida stockmen.
Had the calves all come in January or
February, one might form the erro-
neous opinion that only the calves
that come in January or February
could be put on the market at young
age. The fact of the matter Is that
the calves dropped in April made near
~ as good gains, and were nearly as
heavy at weaving, as were the jan
uary calves.
Birth Weight.
The birth weights of these calves
varied from 41.5 to 81 pounds, with
an average of 50.8 pounds per head.
The birthweight does not seem to
have much to do with the growth
OF the individual up to weaving time.
Some of those that weighed the least
Mt birth were among the heaviest at
weaving time.
The figures seem to show that the
birthweights of the calves dropped in
January are less than those dropped
In April. However, before we can
make any definite statement regard
ms this, 1t would be necessary to
gather like data on a large number
of animals.
Weight at Weaving Time.
From birth until weaving time the
COWS and calves were all given the
same care; that is, they were all kept
had the same chance so far as range
conditions were concerned.
The calves were all weaned on DC
toher %, 1909. At this time the Oldest
calf in the lot was not the heaviest.
But, as would be expected, the young
est calf In the lot was the smallest.
The heaviest calf at weaving time
was born on January 81. It's birth
weight was 81 pounds, and at weaving
time IT weighed 39S pounds. The
youngest calf was five months old
when weaned, its birth weight was
81 pounds, and at weaving time it
weighed 265 pounds. The average
weight Of the twelve head at weaving
time was 3Ss pounds.
Proft From Young Beef.
The average age at weaving was
about seven and one-half months.
The market value of these calves at
weaving time was 1915 per hundred.
At this time the heaviest calf weighed
SeS pounds, which, at $3.75 per hun
dred, gives 1t a value of $1492. At
weaving time the smallest calf
weighed 265 pounds, and at 1918 per
hundred was worth 1894 Since they
averaged 33S pounds per head, a price
of 1878 per hundred gives them an
average value of $12.6S per head.
From SO to $14 per head may well
be considered a good price for calves
at weaving time. There have been
several thousand head OF two and
three -year-oId steers sold in Florida
In the past few years at from $40 TO
$14 per head. These same animals,
had they been given reasonable atten
ton, could have been sold at weaving
time for about the same price, and the
net profit per head would have been
great deal more.
The profits derived by selling calves
at weaving time are much greater
than by keeping them until two or
three years of age. The calf up to
this time eats but little grass, as it
depends largely on the milk of its
mother for nourishment. The cost of
keeping the COW is the same whether
the calf II sold at weaving zine or
kept until three years Of age. Whelt
sold at weaving time, the cost of
keeping the calf through the winter is
eliminated. The winter season Is the
critical period for the calf. 1t is also
the season of the year when the cost
CT keeping the animal is largest.
Another point that must be consid-
cred is that when the crop of calves
is sold at weaving time a much lar0ar
number of breeding cows can be kept
on the same range than 1t is possible
to do when the beef herd is not sold
until two or three yeras Of age. This
Is an important consideration, since
the overstocking of the range is a
serious mistake in the production of
live stock.