The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-01-21
RANGE CATTLE UNABLE TO SUP
PLY THE DEMAND FOR
BEEF CATTLE.
FOUND ON MARKET TOO YOUNG
MINNESOTA FARMERS HAVE A
SPLENDID OPPORTUNITY
USE CORN AND ALFALFA
By Howard R. Smith, Minnesota
College of Agriculture.

territory in the West is not supplying
the demand. Because of this scarcity
and high prices on feeder cattle it
is desirable to grow more cattle for
feeding purposes on Minnesota farms
Many farmers, however, are not so
situated as to keep cows and have
followed the practice of buying thin
Western cattle at the stock yards
each fall.
Most of the cattle coming from the
range country are two years old or
over. They are not usually sold
earlier because of the low cost of
range grazing. Many ranchmen make
a practice of keeping their cattle I'M
til they are four years old because as
they approach maturity they fatten
readily on grass and sell on the mar
ket as killers.
Feeders bought on the market US
ually weigh from 800 to 1000 pounds
each. The buying should be entrusted
to reliable commission firm. The
men at the markets keep we'll inform
ed as to values and can buy to the
best advantage preferably on orders
to be filled at some future time. Feed
ers can usually be had to advantage
in September or October. There may
be considerable quantity of second
growth hay or other pasture that
should be fed up and if so the cattle
should be bought reasonably early to
take advantage of this cheap feed.
Bundle-corn makes excellent feed
at low cost for such cattle in the fall
months. A half-bundle to a steer the
first day is enough, but the allowance
may gradually be increased until each
steer is receiving equivalent of about
ten pounds of corn per day. Limited
to that quantity they will be able to
consume all of the stock that is useful
as feed. This quantity of grain
would represent approximately half
of what constitutes full feed.
The cattle should be placed in a
protected yard upon the coming of
cold winter storms late in November
or early in December A long, mar
row shed at the north side of the yard
with openings on the south furnishes
ample protection for mature cattle
being fattened. If good bedding is
provided the cattle will remain inside
much Of the time. If the feeding of
bundle-corn is to be continued in the
yard, wide bottom racks with vertical
Stats to prevent waste should be set
up. These can also be used for hay
unless it is more convenient to feed
under roof.
Bundle corn fed in the morning in
a quantity to provide ten pounds of
grain per day to each steer will give
enough roughage to last during the
day and enough grain for the morn
ing feed. The same quantity of corn
or a mixture of corn and barley or
oats can be fed in the late afternoon.
With only corn stalks as roughage, it
is highly desirable to give with the
night feed of grain at least 2 pounds
of inseed or cottonseed meal to each
steer, choosing the feed that can be
had at the lowest price per ton. When
corn is high in price, this could be in
creased to three pounds.
If the cattle receive a feed of alfal-
ia at night they will consume it with
great relish and with such a feed
would require no linseed or cotton
seed meal. With clover hay they
should be given about one pound per
day of inseed or cottonseed meal. In
a number Of experiments with two
year-old steers, the writer has found
that beef can be produced at the low
est cost and with the highest profits
with the corn plant and alfalfa hay.
Whether or not the grains are more
economical with the stalk converted
into silage or fed as bundle corn is a
matter not fully determined. Bundle
corn makes a very cheap feed in the
fall and early winter, but is less val
liable towards spring because of the
effects of weathering. Furthermore,
the ears become hard and difficult to
masticate, when thoroughly dried out.
Silage is just as good in quality in the
spring or summer as in early winter
and can be fed to much better advan-
tage than bundle corn in bad weather.
In practically all experiments, silage
has given slightly larger gains and if
it can be put at reasonable cost it. is
unquestionably an economical feed. 1t
is less necessary when alfalfa is sup
piled because of the succulence and
palatability of such hay.
There is no better forage plant than
alfalfa and the acreage devoted to
this crop should be greatly increased
in Minnesota. Through the medium
of this plant one is not only able to
grow the required amount of protein
for best results in feeding, but with
this plant used as a part of the ration
there is affected great saving Of
high priced grain. Under present con-
ditions this is a matter of the great
est Importance in producing beef at
a profit.