Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-03-12
GROWING ANIMALS ON THE
FARM.
No. 4. Growing Beef Cattle.

NO. 4. Growing Beef Cattle.
by II. b. Dvorachek, Professor of Ami
NAL Husbandry, University of
Arkansas
The growing of beef cattle has al
ways been at it's best where pasture
is plentiful, so that cattle can feed
themselves q good share of the time.
Besides pastures, the growing of for
age crops is essential to cheap produce
ton. OF the forage crops the legumes
are especially desirable. The long
pasture season on nutritious, native
grasses and the adaptibility OF Ar
kansas conditions to the growing of
legumes should make the production
OF beef cattle profitable.
The proper wintering of the beef
cow is an important matter The prac-
tlce OF allowing the COW to rough It
through the winter without any pro-
vision of feed by the owner is utterly
wrong. An unthrifty condition Is
bound to result and the COW comes
out OF the winter too thin, in many
cases, to give birth to strong calf,
much less provide an abundant flow
OF milk which is so necessary to
start the calf off right, and keep it
growing until 1t is old enough to util-
ize pasture. The ration for breeding
cows need not be expensive. In fact,
it silage can be provided, and there
is no reason why it cannot, on large
majority of Arkansas farms. ana some
legumes. can be given, no grain will
be necessary to bring cows out in the
spring in splendid condition If the
dried roughage must be such crops
as the sorghums, Sudan grass. or ma
tive grasses. few pounds of cotton
seed meal will supply the protein re.
quirement very cheaply.
II the calf is given plenty of milk
by the COW on pasture, and pastures
are abundant, it should come in in
the fall at weaving time in excellent
condition, and from early spring calv-
ing, should weigh between four and
five hundred pounds. The first Win
ter is the critical time in the life OF
beef calf. At weaving time it should
be eating sufficiently we'll so that the
loss of milk will work little hardship.
Instead of the common practice of let
ting such weanlings go through the
winter trying to make an existence on
some poor unpalatable dried rOughage,
it will be found economical to feed
quite literally on a more wholesome
ration Where calves are roughed
through, they generally lose as much
as a hundred pounds in weight, which
it takes them half the following skm-
mer to regain, besides losing quality
which can never be regained. The
ration fed should be conducive to
growth rather than to fattening. Here
again the succulence of, silage is very
desirable as we'll as the legumes to
supply protein and mineral matter.
Instead of cottonseed meal. oats is ex-
cellent when not too expensive. The
requirement of grain should be
gagged by the results desired Cotton
seed meal is not safe for feeding
calves and should not be used A
small amount of corn if legumes are
used for roughage could be used If
crowded too much during the first
winter the gains on pasture the fol-
lowing summer however, are general
ly disappointing.
The fattening of beef cattle in Ar
| kansas has thus far been successful
only to limited extent. Our class Of
cattle and feed available have made
! the short periods of fattening, say
ninety days, more profitable than the
long periods of say one hundred and
eighty days. The grain rations neces-
sary fos the long periods has proved
too expensive although the Arkansas
feeder has a very cheap and efficient
concentrate in cotton seed meal. How.
ever, it cannot be fed in large guam
titles for only the short period and
the corn-fed finish cannot be attained
with cotton seed meal alone. As the
growing of corn becomes more gen.
eral, the time will come when the
finishing of cattle can be done as we'll
and as probably in Arkansas as it is
now being done in the corn belt states
and perhaps even more SO.
The greatest needs OF Arkansas tor
the profitable growing and fattening
of beef cattle are the eradication Of
the fever tick SO that cattle can make
10 normal growth, the introduction OF
better blood through good sires, which
will quickly follow tick efSdidation.
and better understanding of stock
growing SO that the favorable ccndi-
Itions which prevail can be taken ad-
santiago ff 10 the fullest extent.