The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-11-25

To assist farmers and StOCkmen In
feeding beef cattle economically dur
Ing the coming winter. specialists Of
the United States Department of Agri-
culture point out the need for q lib
eral use Of ~roughage. The meat sit
uation in the United States requires
a maximum Of efficiency in feeding If
production is to be maintained in the
face Of high costs for feed and labor.
Recommendations of the department
follow:
Economy should be the keynote in
production. However. discretion must
be used so that economy will be con
sistent with good gains A ration
might be SO economical rs to merely
maintain the animal, but this would
not be economy, when gain in weight
was the object sought.
Greater Use of Cheaper Feeds.
AT the present time, when grain and
concentrates are so expensive, it Is all
The more important that a greater use
be made of cheaper feeds. The cheap
er feeds are those raised on the farm
and consist primarily Of roughages.
Then, greater economy will depend up
on u greater use of roughages, proper
ly balanced with some grain or protein
concentrate.
1t should be borne In mind that a
balanced ration is not necessarily the
most economical. A ration having a
nutritive ration of 1.6 might produce
the greatest daily gains on a twO-year-
old steer, yet, ii might show better
judgment and more profit to feed a
ration with a ratio of Is, produced by
utilization of a greater amOunt Of
cheaper roughages, and a lesser
amount of high-priced concentrates.
The practice of feeding high-priced
feeds. and not making q full use Of
r%oughages, is quite general throughout
the corn belt. In some Of the middle
western states, very little straw Is
used for feed. but practically all for
bedding. Quite often the cattle are
allowed to u around the straw stack,
resulting in a waste Of at least 80
per cent of the straw. Straw, as dry
%rOughage, forms a very prominent
place in a ration for cattle, either in
the ~fattening lot or when fed to stock
ers and feeders.
In some sections Of Indiana oat
and wheat straw make up the entire
dry roughage for the greater part Of
the feeding period. In certain parts
of Nebraska, where alfalfa is pro-
duced abundantly, the straw Is used
only for bedding. Even where alfalfa
hay is fed. cattle will eat more or less
Of good straw. If they have access to
II. 1t is a good idea 10 keep some
straw before them. Let the cattle
pick Ii over and use what is left for
bedding.
Waste No Straw.
Now is a good time to look at your
straw stack. Trim up the stack by rak1
ing down the sides and properly top
ping so as to shed the fall rains. BY
spending a day on your straw stacks
NV you will save many a ton OF
straw which can be used in replacing
considerable expensive hay next win
ter.
In some states most Of the corn Is
cut. shocked. and husked out by hand
later In the season. Why not let a
shredder do the husking and have a
roughage left. the greater part OF
which will be relished by the cattle?
The shredded fodder. which is refused
by the cattle, makes n of the very
best bedding materials.
Corn fodder. while II is a good
roughage, rs not an economical one.
There Is a very large waste in
handling. A large percentage of the
leaves are lost. and the corn itself Is
| about all the cattle get from the en-
tire corn plant. Run your fodder
through a shredder. feed the ear corn
| separately. and the greater part of the
| corn plant will be utilized. Corn fOd-
der, however, a be used advarta-
geously at the beginning Of the feeding
| period In the fill or early winter.
| Range cattle thet have never seen corn
or grain of any kind can be put on
feed more rapidly by starting on green
or cured corr fodder. This kind Of
| rattle vii, begin nibbling at the leaves
and gradually get to eating the corn.
On the other hand. If eur corn was
| placed before them 1t would be days
before they would begin 10 eat 1t.
The use OF iegume hays. where
| grown on the farm, will obviate the
Use Of high-priced protein concen-
;rates. Good hay. however. Is high
priced and should be fed In such q
! way as to avoid any waste.
Corn stalks In the deid. after the
orn has been removed. should he util-
! ~ ny turning . Sufseicat number Of