The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-27
THE ART OF BEEF MAKING
BY l.. Miller.

mere iS Soou pToIlI IN making baby
beef; that is, in preparing animals for
market when they are from twelve
80 eighteen months old, but not every
man can make it. Many things enter
into the preparation of baby beef |
which very few farmers possess.
In the first place he must have on |
mis- farm an abundance of foods that |
are we'll adapted for the particular |
purpose of making growth and fat in |
the youngsters. He must not feed
foods that are so coarse that they will |
not be suitable for young stock, if he
does he will produce paunchy animals
and fail to get on their ribs the nee
e~sary fat and to make them profit
able. Foods, especially folders, which
may be suitable for older animals are
often entirely unfit for the production
of baby beef. There is a tremendous
waste in feeding young animals al
though pound of grain fed to the
very young calf may produce pound
of grain, but with this there is more
or less waste, mainly water, and the
FIRST thing to do is to start the fat
agolng on the youngster.
If the calf is allowed to become thin
ne can never again be properly fat
tened. Baby beef must be started
from the moment the animal is able
10 take his first meal from his mother
and he must be first every moment
from that time until he is sent to
market.
Dry straw fattens calves particular
ly that they lie on it and sleep great
deal Young calves are much like
Young babies, they must be stuffed as
much as they will in peace and quiet
Sunshine and plenty of fresh air
are almost as necessary as food be-
cause they help digestion wonderful
ty The farmer who has plenty Of
skim milk, alfalfa. clover and corn
may produce baby beef at a profit.
Calves can be raised on skim milk
until about six months of age, pro-
Nided they are fed on grain. clover or
alfalfa at a comparatively small cost.
Some experienced feeders say they
can make $50 to 400 pounds of baby
beef at six months at a cost Of less
than 500 per head. In this cost the
skim milk has been put at SO cents
per cwt. Roughage is figured at $4.OO
per ton and all grain at so cents cwt
Labor is put in at 10 cents an hour
At the Kansas station lot Of skim
milk calves which were placed IN :he
iced lot at once and finished with al
falfa hay and corn made an average
gain of 440 pounds per head, consum
ing 34 bushels of corn during the sec
ond period Adding this to the aver
age amount fed to the skim milk cal
yes up to six months of age, the tota
IS 38 bushels of grain when the calves
were sent to market weighing LITTLE
over 500 pounds.
Another lot of skim milk calves wa
Ilaced in the feed lot and finished a
baby beef on cut alfalfa and 35 bush
elss of grain per head. They Wer
sold when they weighed 740 pound
at 12 months. The calves IN THIS eA
periment, however, were OF very 10Y
breeding and were we'll suited for tn
purpose. II they had been wen-nrs %
calves Prof Wheeler states the
might have been brought up about
400 pounds of weight on the sam
amount OF grain. These are soc or tn
things that the baby beef feeder mu:
thoroughly understand before ne VI
dertakes business. -.
Another thing to be figured IN IN
cost of making baby beef is the CO.
Of feeding the dam while producin
the baby beef for market II the co
has given no other return she is ce
tainly worth at least $500 per yes
and this should be charged again
the calf when he is sent to marke
Dortant item into account. Overi0ol
ing the fact that they must feed tt
COW while she is producing mix
give the youngster start. Ii she n
furnished milk which has been SOLO
made into butter or chee5o tneIl,
reduced
The calves should be allowed
suckle the dams as long as possl1
in order to keep what is known
''calf fat; that is. the natural
which is on their bodies when DO
and they must be taught to eat eTd
as soon as possible. This should
IN the form Of oats and corn grcu
and if fed with one-half bran the r.
ion is an excellent one.
1t is a mistake to feed very you
calves cottOnseed meal as ~ IS
strong for their digestive orSaAs q
is liable to upset them and preve
them from laying on TAT
The sow can be kept at very III