| Show M most ost fat fal steers froni from corn belt one of the most practical ways of disposing of corn crop prepared by the united states department 0 ot t agriculture farmers in tim corn belt are gradually modifying their cuttle cattle feeding eattle fattening and beet beef making operations because of the changing conditions of high priced land intensive farming and market demands where once tile tho whole operation of breeding the cows cowa and raising the calves growing them on pasture and roughage to the feeder ngo ago and then fattening them for the market was carried on at the corn belt farm it liaa has boon gradually becoming more find moro more impractical to kt ep herds of cows cowa to ralso calves and to thus thua grow crow their own supply of feeders not more than it score of years ars ago there was tin nn of pasture and land was comparatively cheap today practically nil all land capable of being tilled Is used for crop production the raising of cattle primarily tor for fattening as beef has bus been giving way to tho production of pure bleds for breeding stock I 1 disposes of corn crop the fattening of steers however one of 0 tile most practical ways of disposing of the corn crop ant and of the lie many hages produced on the average corn belt farm farin and most of the fat cuttle cattle tire still supplied by the corn bolt belt instead of growing tile the feeders on the farm where they tire are to bo be fattened however thero la Is an increasing tendency on the part of cattle feeders to purchase their feeder supply direct from the range which Is more adapted to raising and growing calves to tile feeder age than to fattening them tile the range cattlemen are realizing the situation and are attempting to produce a high grade of feeder cattle the corn belt cattle feeders with tin an abundance of fattening 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 blo for crop production organizations of breeders bleeders bre eders are being formed in fit nian man sections of the lie country for the purpose of assembling sev cral droves of feeder cuttle cattle and selling them nt at auction sales or of tills kind are usually extensively advertised in order to get a large jai go number of buyers to attend buying direct eliminates marketing expenses ut tit the live stock markets and insures against 1 stale cattle that Is cattle beld at tile tho markets for several reveral davs dava buying tit at the largo large live stock markets Is preferred by many feelers feeders because there may be a saving of thrle anil and there Is the possibility of buying on a glutted market which usually results in much lower prices when the receipts are normal however there Is usually considerable competition resulting in a price considerably higher than the range price buying an and selling i ability plays ns as important a part ns as skillful feeding in tho successful handl handling bundling ing of feeder cattle successful feeders study market conditions condition in sonie purne seasons certain tind and classes chimes of cattle may be purchased more economically than others the cattle feeder should study the dom demands rinds of the market for certain seasons tind and feed the kind of eattie cattie that will be in demand when they tire arc ready for market objects in fattening tho primary objects in fattening steers tire are to utilize hages for which there Is little deni demand and to keep the soil in a u high state of productivity by feeding the crops on the farm and returning the manure to tho the land and to Inc increase renso the income from farm operations tile fattening of cattle throughout the corn belt area to Is of two types dr fattening and fattening on grass moat alost cattle fattened in the corn belt tire dry lot fed and tire are marketed before july 3 very few cattle fed heavily on grain during the winter and spring months are ever put on grass tile the following sui summer n in some sections of missouri feeders purchased in tile tall fall tire are roughed through the winter largely on cornstalk fields straws hays stover and silage in the spring the cattle are turned on grass and fed a half grain ration cuttle handled in this way usually are marketed before september 1 there are various rations used in dry lot feeding but two combinations of feeds stand out rather prominently in those areas where legume hay such as clover and alfalfa Is produced abundantly the standard ration Is corn and hay in other arens where legumes are less thrifty wage and protein meal such as cottonseed or linseed ure eire fed in combination with corn tind a mixed hay available rough land high priced land suitable for grain production in tho the corn belt area can hardly be profitably kept for pasture for tho the production of beef for the market however thoro are ninny many farms having rough land that can be utilized best ng as a permanent pasture gains mail made e by cattle on oil pasture are usually tho the most economical when cattle tire are roughed through the winter largely on cheap hages linges they can be marketed early the following full fall at a cost materially lower than would result from dry lot feeding cattle to be finished in the summer ou on grass with possibly the addition of it a little corn or other supplement in the tha foil fall should not be fed heavily during the winter but they should receive enough to maintain their weight if they can be kept in a healthy thrifty condition during the winter months they will do bettor better on grass the following summer than it if heavily grain red fed during the winter where pasture la Is available there ni are three practical methods of fattening cuttle cattle on grass wi namely niely grass alone grass and additional feed throughout the entire feeding period and grass with additional feed the last few months of the feeding period tho the grass season Is usually from may alay to november inclusive which Is approximately Inin tely days two acres of good pasture are usually allowed per ant mal after september the average pasture begins to decrease in very rapidly and cattle should bo be marketed at tills time or given addition additional nal feed prevailing prices of corn and 11 concentrates the type of pasture and tile quality of cattle should largely determine the supplement to pasture might be corn alone corn with protein supplement or the protein supplement by itself where grass alone Is depended le upon from four to five months of arn gracing ing will usually give hest best results re aults because pastures tire are at their heir best from june to october |
