The courier-index., 1920-01-23
BETTER BULLS WILL
INCREASE PROFITS

"Are pure-bred bulls profitable?"
is a question which will, no doubt,
seem quite absurd to progressive Ar
kansas stockmen. Increased profits
that have been realized through
grading up native cows with purebred
bulls and made extra bank deposits
possible does make it an absurd ques-
tion--to the man who knows, says L.
|. Case, Beef Cattle Specialist with
the Agricultural Extension Divi-
sion
Bankers and business men of Ar
kansas and every other state in the
union are advocating the use of pure
bred sires. An Oregon bank has
adopted the slogan, Better Bulls,
Rams and Bears mean bigger bank
balances" There is no reason why
business organizations and individual
business men try to induce farmers
and stockmen to use purebred sires.
Bankers and business men ~ealize
that livestock improvements mean
larger returns. If the stock man
makes larger deposits in the bank and
purchases of the merchants are cor
respondingly larger. Cattle loan
companies also loan nearer full val
ue on good cattle than they will on
scrubs. There is no sentiment in
that policy either.
There is no possible reason why
farmers and stockmen should waste
their time and tie up and jeopardize
their capital in the purchase and
feeding of inferior stock" says the
editor of leading beef cattle paper
who gives an example which illus
trates very forcibly the value of the
the use of good bulls. Two ship
ments of steers which recently
are of interest in disclosing breed
ing facts. One lot of good steers
weighed, on an average, 1876 10
and sold at $3.50 hundred weight,
their dressing percentage averaging
81 per cent. These steers carried
Ga per cent of inside fat while their
cost per pound, dressed and ready
for sale to the consumer was 2212
cents. The medium lot of steers
averaged in weight 963 pounds and
sold at $3.50. These cattle dress
ed 81 per cent, carried a per cent of
inside fat and, cost % cents pound
when dressed and ready for consump-
ton. Subsequently the meat from
the good steers, which resulted in
an increase profit to the butcher of
approximately half cent a pound,
despite the fact that the good steers
cost originally 2 cents pound more
than the medium steers. Further
more the inside fat was worth con-
siderable more in the good steers
than it was in their lower quality
mates. The well-bred lot of cattle
sold for an average of $181.46 a
piece, while the poorer steers brought
only $128.O8 each, difference of
$53.3S head in favor of the better
bred cattle"
81 have noticed that many men who
would like to have pure-bred bull
stand back because of the price of
pure-bred animals" says Mr. Case
'But it is not necessary for man
with only few cows to buy bull
independently. A group of five or
six farmers should put their money
together and buy good bull. He
can be kept in a centrally located
place within the reach of all the
owners. A bull can be used in a
community for three reasons without
inbreeding. During that time II he
is properly taken care of he can
easily sire 100 heifers. If he in
creases the value of the calves SIS
per head over those of scrub sire,
he Is worth $500. If the increase in
the value of the calves is $40 per
head, he is worth 81 ,000-and good
beef type bull will do that and more
too. But good registered bulls fit
for grading up purposes do not cost
81 900 or $500. There is no better
investment than a pure-bred bull to
use on our native cows"
The coming sales of purebreds of
the leading beef breeds will furnish
opportunities to those interested in
securing bulls and breeding cattle
of the Hereford, Shorthorn and An
gus breeds. A number Of animals
will be sold in connection with the
Annual Livestock Growers Meeting
in Little Rock, February 25-26-27.
At Jonesboro on April 1, sale of
Hereford cattle will interest everyone
who prefer that breed. All of the