New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-04-14
BABY BEEF PROFITABLE


It has been pointed out that the con-
ditions in Minnesota are favorable for
the raising OF more calves for beef pro-
duction. A class of beef very popular
with farmers in some sections, for reasons
which will be explained, and in strong de-
smand at the market centers is known as
"Baby Beef" This means fat calves rang
ing from eight to twelve months OF age,
weighing from 600 to 900 pounds each.
In order to get the necessary fairness to
command high price it is desirable first
of all to breed good class of beef calves
such as might be had by the use OF low
set, thickfleshed sire of the beef breeds.
Early tleshing qualities seem to be quite
largely matter of type rather than breed
While the Herefords on the average are a
little more earlymaturing than the other
breeds, the short-legged Angus and
Scotch Shorthorn sires will do quite as
we'll. A good class Of beef calves can be
produced from ordinary grade COWS that
may be good mixers, if the sire is OF the
extreme beef type and pure bred so that
the calves will more nearly resemble the
sire than the dam. ...
This class of beef is well adapted to
farms where there is a sufficient number
of COWS or sheep to consume most OF the
roughage and where there is the required
amount of grain available for fattening
the calves. 1t takes heavy grain feeding
to produce good baby beef-all the calves
will eat just as early as they can be in
duced to take it and up the time they are
sold. They must be given more high
priced grain than roughage, but it pays
because they take less feed for a pound
of grain at that early age, and if they are
very fat they will bring as much per
pound as larger cattle. When beef is
scarce and high as at present, the house
wife asks for small cut and these small
carcasses are in good demand in most
cities. Heifer calves from good beef
sires are we'll adapted to this use because
they are finer in bone and fatten faster
than steers OF the same breeding.
If calves are allowed whole milk from
the dams they get an earlier start in the
fattening process. This seems rather
extravagant, but it often happens that
a farmer does not have the labor to milk
as many cows as he would like to keep to
consume his feed. Moreover, if the calf
weighs 600 pounds and brings $50 at the
age of nine months-not at all unusual in
recent years-the cow is paying we'll for
her feed. With plenty of grain supple
nenting the milk two such calves can be
raised by one good sized heavy milking
cow. Calves we'll reared on skim milk
will answer the purpose but require lit
tie more time.
A self-feeder for the grain is great
convenience for fattening calves. They
will not get too much for this purpose.
1t may be of interest to know just what
such calf can be induced to eat.
In one experiment the writer found
that calves averaging 500 pounds in
weight, each consumed the following as
a days ration: Corn 9 pounds, alfalfa
pounds, and corn silage pounds. The
averge grain per day for period of four
months seven to eleven months of age
was 2.26 pounds. With corn selling at
that time at Sc cents per bushel, alfalfa
$40 per ton and silage valued at SO per
ton the cost of feed for 100 pounds of gain
was $6.14-approximately $1.25 per
hundred less than the market value OF
the calves at the close of the experiment.
These calves had been reared on skim
milk and were of an average quality
With clover instead of alfalfa it would
pay to feed each calf one pound perday
of linseed or cottonseed meal. With
neither clover nor alfalfa, each calf should
. have one and one-half pounds of one Of
these concentrated protein feeds. One:
third OF the grain ration might consist oil
oats or barley, though corn is usually q
cheaper feed. AS high as ten pounds pei
day of good quality of silage made from
we'll matured corn with little less grain
than mentioned above might lesson the
cost of gains little. Without silage
we'll cured corn slower would give fair re-
suits. Silage, however, is much more re.
lished by calves and will be consumed
without waste. Every farmer who is
feeding for beef production should pro-
vide himself with silo.
The demand for "Baby Beef is likely
to continue and as it can be produced
under most conditions at less expense
than more mature beef it should appeal