The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1916-12-29

blGdI BREED
produce its quota of live stock in order
to maintain soil fertility. There are a
number of striking points in the live
stock situation and these include the
need of producing what is known as
baby beef and the wisdom of quick
marketing.
In too many cases since the Euro
pean war started the extraordinary de-
mand for beef has induced American
farmers to hurry their meat animals
to market in an immature condition.
Packers are paying the highest prices
ever recorded, and there is, consequent
ly, temptation to sell beef animals
before they reach prime condition.
A few illustrations are at hand of
farmers being able to sell finished cat
tie which have reached the weight of
1000 to 1,400 pounds at the age of one
year. Baby beef, speaking in round
figures, should not be under 1000
pounds for the average, and with cor
rect feeding Of selected stock there is
no difficulty in reaching this figure.
Calves have to be forced and must be
handled with skill; otherwise there will
be disappointment, as conditions must
be good to give substantial success.
A word about the cost of raising and
feeding this class of stock may be en-
couraging. While it is best to allow
calves to run with their dams for three
or four months, this method can be set
aside where milk contracts will not
permit Of such feeding. In any case
the use of whole milk is necessary at
first, but gradually calves may be ac-
customed to skimmilk in which has
been placed a small portion of shorts
or bran. They will thrive on this diet
and in short time will be consuming
considerable mill stuffs, grass and ST.
lage.
TO great extent farmers may cut
out western feeders and substitute do
nestle calves for the quick growing
Of marketable cattle There is thus
large saving in the initial cost, and
high quality Of baby beef can be pro-
duced at an expense of about 4 cents
a pound, possibly little less, and this
allows for the original value of the
animal and the worth of feed and Ia
Dor up to the time of marketing. The
plain and simple proposition of pro-
ducing high quality of beef and real
izing profit of 100 per cent is not all
there is to this argument. Well select
ed young animals of the right breed
will grow their first thousand pounds
of flesh more cheaply than an addi-
tional 400 pounds can be put on in the
second year. Therefore If an animal
can be properly finished at a weight of
| 1000 to 1000 pounds in year, so that
it classes as topnotch beef, it is poor
economy to carry it over for the pur-
pose of getting additional weight. This
second years growth will not show
very high rate of profit, because a lar
ger proportion of grain and other ex-
pensive feeds will be necessary. There
will always be animals that do not
come up to expectations In year
either as to size or quality of beef, and
these may be carried over In line with
old methods of feeding. 1t is almost
needless to say to stock raisers that
they can only produce satisfactor,
baby beef with well selected animals.
The best of calves will grow into 1000
pounds of choice beef in year, while
the same animals are not likely to put
on mere than 800 TO 400 pounds the
second year. Thus it is easy to see
that the big profits are in furnishing
baby beef. but my earnest advice is to
discard all inferior stock in going into
this line of activity.