Macon beacon., 1917-08-31
(By PROF. JAMES WILSON, South Da
kota Agricultural College)

kota Agricultural College)
Breeders of Shorthorn cattle should
be interested in the cost of producing
a Shorthorn bull TO the age of twelve
months. OF course this varies In diff
ferent localities and with different
breeders, but having produced hun
dreds of purebred calves, appreciate
the fact that some do not care to have
their twelve months old calves as
large or as heavy ms this one was, but
for early maturity the calves must be
fed. l know of no better place to crib
grain than in purebred Shorthorn
calves-even If 1t does cost two and
three cents a pound.
Interested in Cost
A few years ago l was interested in
knowing how much 1t actually cost the
state to produce bull Mt twelve
months of age at the pace we were go
ing, so | selected Il calf that was ten
days old and weighed him for the trial.
A daily record was kept Of his feed
also that of his mother, and he weighed
every 80 days. He received just or
dinary attention. no more than hun
dreds of bulls that have fed of this
breed under similar conditions. This
calf was born December 7, 1912. He
received his mothers milk (no nurse
cows; I would not give much for the
COW that cannot nurse her own calf),
and because of his age was not al
lowed to run with her and the re-
mainder of the herd when she was
turned on grass, May 16, the following
year. The mother is pure Scotch
COW of less than medium scale and
only an average milk producer. Bull
calves of this age do not do well when
turned with the herd In the spring to
fight flies and worry all summer.
Grazing in the evening would have
| been all right for this calf, but not
having suitable pasture he was kept
in the yard day and night, and the
expense of growing is probably few
dollars more than 1t would have been
had we had good pasture and sew
eral other bulls to have turned out
with him In the evening after he was
sed his grain ration.
Attracted Attention.
There was something" about this
bull that attracted the attention of
everyone who saw him. His type as
Shorthorn, his size for his age, his
character as bull, his solid dark red
color, all had a bearing. When calves
Of this age have great big thick horns
and the horns have been trimmed or u
wee bit sawed off the ends it is evi-
dence that the calf has been neglected.
Probably he has lost his milkfat and
an effort Is being made to put It back
with grain.
The ShOrthorn is the most popular
breed of cattle In the United States to-
day. The popularity must be credited
to the fact that as breed 1t comes
nearer filling the dual-purpose capacity
than any other. The cows are fairly
good mixers. and when put on the
market make good beef. Now do not
claim this breed In its entirety is as
good for milk production as breed
developed along strictly dairy lines or
as food for beef production as breed
developed solely along beef lines, but
some excel in beef and some excel In
milk.
Milk for Calf.
When this calf was ten days old he
weighed 122 pounds, not an extra large
weight for a calf of the breed. At this
time the mother weighed 1.180 pounds.
1t was our intention to feed her ra-
ton out Of which she could make milk
for the calf and maintain her own
weight, as she was not an extra fat
COW. We made a mixture Of 200
pounds Of oats, so pounds of corn, 25
pounds Of bran and one-tenth as much
Of the total by weight Of oilmeal. The
idea Of adding the bran was to compel
more thorough mastication of the grain
before swallowing and to furnish pro-
,tein and mineral matter. In addition
70 this ration she was fed ordinary
wild hay. At this time the COW was on
full feed, or II pounds Of the mixture
per day and all the hay she wanted. At
the end Of 30 days her grain ration wes
increased to II pounds of the mixture,
and at the end Of go days the two were
eating 10 pounds, as the calf at this
time had learned to eat grain with Its
mother. When the calf was eighty
days old he was fed In a separate box,
beginning with four pounds of the
same mixture and gradually increas-
ing, giving him all he would cot after
he had sucked his mother.
Grain for Calf.
On May 10 the COW was turned to
grass and was brought In morning and
evening to nurse the calf. Her grain
raions was gradually reduced and
that Of the calf increased. At this time
the mother weighed 1,134 and the calf
s54. The calf was now Ave months