Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-27

gains. Fattening cattle usually show a
strong craving for salt and THIS craving
should be satisfied by a reasonable
supply. The too heavy use OF salt
sometimes leads to heavy consump-
ton of water. which Is not consistent
with heavy gains. When shelter is pro-
yided ground salt may be used, but il
exposed to the weather rock salt only
should be used.
Protection from the hot sun and Tiles
should be provided For this purpose
good grove will DO a valuable adjunct.
II no natural shade is available 1t
should be provided for otherwise. Open
sheds are useful in this connection.
Every little additional point Of COM
fort will be found very helpful N this
connection.
Scotch Method.
Beef cattle are produced on land in
Scotland much more valuable than the
farms Of the cornhelt states. In addi-
ton, the Scottish people are constantly
importing our feeding stuffs, especially
cottonseed and oil meal, to use in their
feeding operations. These facts must
indicate that beef production as a
business, can be pructiced In this coun-
try. What we reed is just little more
business in our cattle producing opera
tons.
In Scotland, In addition to the cattle
feeders, who purchase their feeding an
rnals, there ore considerable number
of farmers who are making speciality
Of beef production by growing all Of
their own feeding animals This work
is being successfully conducted on land
which, in some instances, the rents
reach $3.50 per acre. Some of these
farmers have adopted the practice Of
purchasing calves, when few days
old, from the uairymen and small farm
ers, and putting them on nurse cows,
, two on COW during the first five
months Of the lactation period and
then third calf during the remainder
Of the milking period. This method
has been very successfully practiced
by those farmers who are located in a
district where good calves can be Sc
cured. In some instances the farmers
furnish high-class beef sires for the
.dairymen or small farmers to use SO
that the calves will be of the desired
type for feeding. The men who adopt
this method of rearing their feeding
cattle aim to have them ready for
market before they are two years old.
In order to accomplish this end, the
calves are taught 10 eat hay, grain,
cake and roots at an early age and are
very literally fed until ready for mar
ket. AS the methods Of feeding prac-
ticed are very similar :"
the farmers, who are following another
method Of rearing cal -, $50. ,..., )
discussed in the same connection
In visiting the/different sections Of
the country, the writer discovered an
other method Of rearing beef cattle, on
high priced land, which is being prac-
ticed very successfully by many farm
ers. These men purchase in the fall Of
the year open heifers, about 20 months
old, and they are maintained faily well,
but as economically MS possible, until
the month Of March, when they are
bred to a high-ciass beef sire, thus
having them drop their calves the fol-
lowing December, when they are about
two years and nine months or years
old Black bulls are generally used on
heifers Of mixed colors and Shorthorn
bulls on black heifers, SO that the
calves will be more uniform in ap-
pearance. The heifers are grazed dur
ing the summer season and do not
receive any special or additional food
until the later part Of October or the
first Of November. From this time on
they are fed on hay, roots and small
allowance Of grain and cake 80 as to
have them in good condition at carv-
in. time. After calving they are liber-
ally fed on hay, turnips and grain
mixture OF grain and cake. The cake is
usually about half and half Of cotton
seed and linseed. as the Scottish peo-
pie seldom feed just the one kind. They
are literally fed for the purpose of
making them milk well so that the
calves will be well nursed. This method
Of feeding is continued until the grass
is good, when they are fed from five to
ten pounds Of grain and cake per head
per day, in addition to grass, so as to
have them in real good flesh by Sept.
1, when the calves are weanei. Then
by three months feeding on hay, tdr-
nips, grain and cake will make them
prime animals for the butcher. The
advantages claimed for this method are
that the heifers are growing all Of the
time thus increasing Il. value, that
they will rear good calves and still sell
in the open market as fat heifers. not
cows Such heifers as q rule, are pur-
chased for about $40 each and sell for
from $50 to $50 each at the end Of two
years.
On some farms two crops Of calves
are reared before disposing Of the
heifers or young cows. Where this
method is practiced one-half Of the
heifers are sold after dropping their
second calves, as mich cows to the
dairymen at good prices, and the other
half Of the heifers are made to suckle
two calves each and are sold as mich
cows are dropping their third calves,
else fed heavily during the second
lactation period and finished for beef
purposes. The latter method is pursued
by many, who use Irish bred heifers or
natives from heavy milking cows, as
such heifers will usually develop into
useful dairy cows.
The calves, in addition to sucking
their mothers, are taught to eat sup
Elementary food at as early an age as
possible and are heavily fed until
about II or Is months old. when at