The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-18
FARMERS TURNING
TO BEEF CATTLE
DIR. John E. Foster Reports
Increase In Interest In
Industry In N. C.

ing away at the cotton n tObac-
co acreage in North Carolina in an
attempt to hold UP falling prices,
there has been a constantly increas-
ing interest in beef cattle, says DR..
John r. Foster, associate in animal
husbandry Investigations for the N.
C. experiment station at State col
lege.
Growing out of this situation has
been an earnest effort On the BART
of many farmers to make the new
enterprise a successful one. This
has resulted in almost continuous
calls on the experiment station for
information.
Recent investigations have added
many worthwhile contributions to
the field of breeding, and manage
ment. For instance. the State col
lege research men found that cotton
seed meal, a home product and a
cheap source of protein, can be fed
to beef cattle in large amounts with
out injurious results if supplement-
ed with bright green leafy legume
hay or green pasture.
These supplemental feeds contain
Vitamin A, DR.. Foster explained, an
essential lacking in ~cottonseed meal.
The absence of this vitamin has been
responsible for most of the harmful
effects arising from the feeding of
the meal.
The investigators also found that
cottonseed hulls and shredded corn
stover are of almost equal feeding
value for %fattening steers on corn
or cottonseed meal. Likewise, coarse
ly ground barley and wheat are sat
isfactory concentrates for %fattening
beef steers and are nearly equal to
corn in feeding values. Naturally,
wheat is usually more expensive per
bushel than corn, so under ordinary
circumstances would not be an eco
nomic feed.
Native reeds, covering thousands
of acres in Eastern North Carolina,
will furnish ample grazing for beef
cattle from about May 1 to jan
uary 1. About two acres of a coed
stand of reeds are required per ami
NAL. The gains produced compare
favorably with those On permanent
pasture. Being deep rooted, the reeds
are not injured by drought.
While satisfactory gains are made
by all ages of cattle on reed pas
ture, the majority of this gain is
usually made during the first three
months of the summer grazing pc
riod, May 1 through July.
The State college investigators also
confirmed that corn stalk fields,
from which the ears have been har-
vested, can be put to good use. AL
though usually wasted, these fields,
if properly utilized, will maintain
the weight of dry cows for 70 days.
The stalks furnished "a COW days
of cleaning per acre or 50 COW days
per 1O0-bushel yield.
Another important part of the in
vestigation work brought out hat
yearlings can be carried through the
entire winter on stalks with an out
lay of only three cents a day for ad-
ditional feeds. At the end of win
ter, they were in good condition.
Through proper utilization of ma
tive pastures and stalk field CLEAN
ings in Eastern North Carolina" DE-.
Foster said, "beef cattle have been
produced cheaper than almost any
where else in the United states. For
example, the entire cost of 400-pound
weaned calves was only $13, of yearl-
ing stocker or feeders SO, and two
year-olds finished for market $44."
In breeding experiments, it was
found that cattle from native or
scrub COWS and %purebred Hereford
bulls made more rapid gains as nurs-
ing. calves, yearling stockers and in
the feed lot than did those sired by
a scrub bull. They also required
less feed per unit IF gain while in
the feed lot. Not only did the grade
Herefords make better and cheaper
gains, but they were Of higher quail
tv as calves. feeders, and finished
beef than the scrubs.
According to our experiment sta
ton records" DR.. Foster declared,