The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-01
FINISHING YEARLINGS
In III DRY LOT.
(By Professor j. III. Skfnncr.)

{By Professor j. III. Skinncr.)
Several years ago Professor Cochel.
| who was then my associate in the
Department of Animal Husbandry,
] assisted me in an experiment in finish
ing yearling calves in dry lots as COM
pared to the pasture. The results OBJ
tanned may be briefly summarized as
follows:
Calves given a full feed Of grain
| from November to May made o.
rapid and cheaper gains, obtained a
higher finish, o il at a higher price
and returned q greater profit on the
pasture.
grass shrunk SO much during the first
10 days hat it required from two to
three weeks to bring them back to
their original weight.
Steers fed in the dry lot consumed
a greater amount Of concentrates than
while or 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 a view to fini-
Shing them for market in such con-
dition "a they will sell as prime
yearlings should realize that he is
entering into a feeding proposition
that will require from nine to twelve
months for it's completion.
In order to make the greatest nan
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 when required to
depend entirely upon themselves for
sustenance. These two factors are
only under control Of the ma who
finishes calves Of his own raising and
who should logically follow the pro-
duction Of yearling beef iii the corn
belt.
For him who makes a business OF
feeding cattle rather than producing
them, the western ranges must fur
nish the material for the feed lot
which means that h calves will nee
essarily have lost much Of the
bloom" carried at weaving time and
also be entirely unaccustomed to the
feeds used for production Of beef in
the cOrn belt, both of which will re.
suit in a longer fedeing period where
prime yearling beef is produced.
When calves are first placed in the
feed lot they should be given the
most palatable feed that can be OBJ.
S tanned until they have learned to eat
4 Most excellent results in starting then
D can be secured from a grain mixture
f Of Shelled corn, bran and oats mixed
S in equal proportions by weight, adding
one part of linseed meal to 10 parts O.
S the grain mixture.
For roughage, good, bright clover
t or alfalfa hay and corn silage are mos
useful. After they have learned tt
e eat grain, the expensive feeds such a.
bran and oats may be dropped from
the ration and the more concentrated
S feeds such as corn, cotton seed OF
linseed meal increased according t.
n appetite, and fed in connection will
good roughage during the winter.
This method Of treatment will re
n suit in an increase Of approximate,
two pounds per head daily for ST,
n months. When high grade calves ar
ii given a full feed during this periot
d On such rations they will sell from 2
cents to SO cents per undre below
= the prices paid for cattle of equa
r quality and type on the central mar
kets and will require from three t
> four months of full feeding to max
is them prime.
is h following report of the expert
e ments shows a decided advantage i
favor of dry-lot feeding.
" The cattle used were high-grad
S, Hereford steers. The dry lots wer
"a not we'll adapted to summer feedins
l. for the sheds were low and therefor
hot and the flies could not be KEEP
m out of them. The pasture consiste
s. of nine acres of mixed timothy an
clover which furnished more gras
than the cattle could consume frOr