Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-30
Weekly Bureau of In
formation for All Who
Till the Soil or Are In
terested in Making Homes
FINISHING YEARLlNGS
IN CONFINES OF DRY LOT
Professor ]. II. Skinner writes:

Several years ago Professor Cochcl,
who was then my associate in the De-
partment of Animal Husbandry. as
sisted me in an experiment In finish
ing yearlins calves In dry lots as COM
pared to the pasture. The results OBJ
tanned may be briefly summarized as
follows:
Calves, given n full feed of grain
from November to May, made moro
rapid and cheaper gains. obtained n
higher finish, sold at higher price
dry lot than when finished on tho
pasture.
The full-bred calves. when turned
on grass, shrunk so much during the
first ten days that it required from
two to three weeks to bring them back
to their original weight.
Steers fed in dry lot consumed
greater amount of concentrates than
while on the pasture.
The beef of the future must come
from the farms of the Middle West.
and the feeder. who, in the fall of the
year, buys calves with n view to fin
fishing them for market in such condi-
ton that they will sell as prime year
lings, should realize that he is enter
ing into u feeding proposition that
will require from nine to twelve months
for Its completion.
In order to make the greatest tinan-
cial success from the venture, he
should select calves showing pro-
nounced beef types. quality. early ma
turity, large capacity for feed and the
milk fat" which has been secured by
having sucked the dam until placed
in the feed lot,
The calves should, If possible. be
taught to eat grain before weaving. In
order that there may be no loss In
weight or condition whom required to
depend entirely upon themselves for
sustenance. These two factors are only
under control of the man who finishes
calves of his own raising and who
should logically follow the production
of ycarling beef in the corn belt.
For him who makes business OF
feeding cattle rather than producing
them, the western ranges must furnish
the material for the feed lot, which
means that the calves Will necessarily
have lost much of the bloom carried
ut weaving time and also be entirely
unaccustomed to the feeds used Tor
production OF beef In the corn belt,
both OF which will result in IL longer
feeding period where prime ycarling
beef is produced.
When calves arc first placed in the
feed lot they should be given the
most palatuble feed that can be OBJ
talncd until they have learned TO eat.
Most excellent results in starting them
can be secured from grain mixture
of shelled corn, bran ana oats mlNeo
equal proportions ny "ciSht' ho"iHe
one part of linseed meal to ten parts
of tho grain mixture.
For roughage. good, bright clover or
alfalfa hay and corn silaGe arc most
useful. After they have learned 10
cat grain, the expensive feeds such as
hiram and oats may be dropped from
The ration and the more concentrated
feeds such rs corn, cotton seed or I'M
seed meal increased according to ap.
petite and fed in connection with soou
roughngc during the winter
our conclusions were that II IL were
possible to turn them out earlN III the
season before the grass starts and con-
tin,fo tho feeds used in the dry lot. SO
that the steers would be accustomed 70
tho grass gradually, then there womb
Ia. M, advantage of dry-lot feeding In
the summer, except for that which is
due to tho premium trade FOR drS-tea
cattle on the central markets, caused
by the general belief that carcnsses
!rom such cattle are superior TO those
from grasS-fcd animals.
This method of treatment Will result
i'm an increase Of approximately Two
hounds per head daily for six mouths.
When highgradc calves are given a
full feed during this period on such
rations they will sell from 25 cents to
80 cents per 100 below the prices paid
for cattle of equal quality and type on
tho central markets, and will require
from three to four months or t"ii
The following report OF the expert
mcnts shows n decided advantage in
favor. OF drY-lot feeding:
Tho cattle used were high grade
Hereford steers The dry lots were
NOT well odaptcd To summer feeding,
for the sheds were low, and. therefore,
hot and the flies could not be kept out
OF them The pasture consisted OF nine
acres OF mixed timothy and clover.
which furnished more grass than the
cattle could consume from the middle
OF May to ths middle OF August.
In each Of The tests the dry-lot cattle
made thc, greatest gain during the first
month, but there was decided decline
during the next two months. owing to
their becoming Cattcr and the condition
OF the weather.
The cattle in tho pasture made the
smallest gain during the first month.
due, OF course. TO the change from dry
lot TO pasture and the decrease in the
amount of grain they would eat.
The steers in the dry lot made gain
OF S94 pounds in excess of those on
ras;ur. during the first month OF sum-
difference was only ninety pounds. and
the ;hird month those on pasture
gained sixty-thrcc pounds over those
in the dry lot.
This shows that in the superiority
OF the dry lot method. the feeding was
due entirely to the behavior of the
steers tn" first month, after which the
pasture was superior.
The results of three months feeding
show difference of 741 pounds gain
in favor Of the dry-lot cattle during
thc three years. which was sufficient
of pasture feeding when considered in
connection with the added bloom" and
higher market prIcr OF the dry lot at
tne kline OF marketing