Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-05-22
Most Fat Steers
From Corn Belt
One of the Most Practical
Ways of Disposing of
Corn Crop.
prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture.)

ally modifying their cattle-fe feeding, cat
tle-fattening and beef-making opera
.ions because of the changing condi-
lions of high-priced land, intensive
farming and market demands. Where
once the whole operation Of breeding
the cows and raising the calves, grow
ing them on pasture and roughage to
the feeder age and then fattening
them for the market, was car
ried on at the corn belt farm, it
has been gradually becoming more
and more impractical to keep herds
of cows to raise calves and to thus
grow their own supply of feeders.
Not more than ScOre Of years ago
there was an abundance Of pasture and
land was comparatively cheap. Today
practically all land capable Of being
TILED is used for crop production. The
raising Of cattle prim arily for fatten-
ing as beef has been giving way to
the production Of pure breds for breed
ing stock.
Disposes of Corn Crop.
The fattening of steers, however, af-
fords one Of the most practical ways
of disposing Of the corn crop and of
the many roughages produced on the
average corn belt farm, and most Of
the fat cattle are still supplied by the
corn belt. Instead of growing the
feeders on the farm where they are
to be fattened, however, there is an
increasing tendency on the part of
cattle feeders to purchase their feeder
Is more adapted to raising and grow
ing calves to the feeder age than to
fattening them. The range cattlemen
are realizing the situation and are
attempting to produce high grade
of feeder cattle. The corn belt cattle
feeders, with an abundance Of fatten-
Ing feeds and limited pasture areas,
see where they can better afford to
purchase feeders from the range area
than to raise them on land which is
suitable for crop production.
Organizations of breeders are being
formed in many sections of the coun-
try for the purpose of assembling sew
eral droves Of feeder cattle and sell
Ing them at auction. Sales of this
kind are usually extensively adver-
tised in order to get large number
of buyers to attend. Buying direct
eliminates marketing expenses at the
live stock markets and insures against
'stale" cattle, that is, cattle held at
the markets for several days. Buying
at the large live stock markets is pre-
ferred by many feeders, because there
may be saving of time, and there Is
the possibility of buying on "glut-
ted" market, which usually results in
much lower prices. When the receipts
are normal, however, there is usually
considerable competition, resulting in
price considerably higher than the
range price.
Buying and selling ability plays as
important a part as skillful feeding in
the successful handling Of feeder cat
tie. Successful feeders study market
conditions In some seasons certain
weights and classes of cattle may be
purchased more economically than 9TH
ers. The cattle feeder should study
the demands of the market for GER
tain seasons and feed the kind of cat
tie that will be in demand when they
are ready for market.
Objects in Fattening.
The primary objects in fatrening
steers are to utilize roughages for
which there is little demand, to keep
the soil in a high state of productive
ity by feeding the crops on the farm
and returning the manure to the land,
and to increase the income from farm
operations. The fattening of cattle
throughout the corn belt area is of
two types-dry-lot fattening and fat
tening on grass. Most cattle fattened
In the corn belt are dry-lot fec and
are marketed before July 1. Very
few cattle fed heavily on grain dur
ing the winter and spring months are
ever put on grass the following sum-
mer. In some sections Of Missouri
feeders purchased in the fall are
a'roughed" through the winter largely
on cornstalk fields, straws, hays, slower
and silage. In the spring the cattle
are turned on grass and fed a half
grain ration. Cattle handled in this
way usually are marketed before Sep
TENDER /.
There are various rations used in
dry-lot feeding, but two combinations
Of feeds stand out rather prominent
iy. In those areas where legume hay,
such as clover and alfalfa, is produced
abundantly, the standard ration is corn
and hay. In other areas, where leg
umes are less thrifty, silage and pro-
TEN meal, such as cottonseed or lin
seed, are fed in combination with corn
and mixed hay.
Available Rough Land.
High-priced land suitable for grain
production in the corn belt area can
hardly be proftably kept for pasture
for the production Of beef for the
marlket However, there are many
farms having rough land that can be
utilized best as a permanent pasture.
Gains made by cattle on pasture are
usually the most economical. When
cattle are 'roughed" through the win
ter, largely on cheap roughages, they
can be marketed early the following
fall at a cost materially lower than
would result from dry-lot feeding. Cat
tie to be finished in the summer on
grass, with possibly the addition of
little corn or other supplement in the