Show en management AND FEEDING FOR BABY BEEF Y L I 1 el I 1 I 1 X M EXTRA FINE GRADE STEERS IN FEED LOT prepared by the united states department of Q agriculture one of the first decisions that the producer of baby beef should make Is whether to have his calves born in the spring or in the full fall at the present time most of the calves on farms are born during the spring but those who nho have tried the fall calving plan under suitable conditions find it pos aebly wore more satisfactory the fall born calf fits in with pastures somewhat better than those born in the I 1 spring ills his first summer Is spent on the pasture and at the end of this period lie he goes into the dry lot for finishing on the other hand the calf must be fed during the first winter and when the pastures are ready usually cannot be placed on oil them because he be has reached the finishing period and should go into the dry lot again the farmer who sells milk will derive greater profit when his cows freshen in the fall since milk markets are better then than in the spring an additional advantage Is the fact that finishing calves in the fall and early winter interferes less with inith other farm work than in the spring and early summer on the other hand in extremely cold climates calves born in the late fall will suffer so that warm barns are a necessity more feed is also ne necessary cesary to maintain cows when they are nursing calves and if this Is lone done in the winter when pastures are not always 11 available al lable the expense of keeping the I 1 herd will be somewhat increased furthermore farmers who buy cows that have been bred to calve in the fall must lose six months of 0 service from them if the change is made to fall calving milk for calves it is also necessary for the owner to determine whether the calves shall have all of their mothers milk ol 01 whether Oi ether any other use is to be made of it under the so called beet beef system all the calves are allowed to hiir dursse c their dams and the cows are arc kept strictly for the calves which they p produce under the system of double nursing some of the cows are required to suckle two calves and the milk from the others is sold or disposed of in some way nay many herds too are kept both for beef and mill milk purposes under this system known as the dual purpose the cows are arc milked and the calves are raised on skim milk and grain A fourth system is used chiefly in the southeast and Is known as the partial milking system under this method the calves take a portion of 0 the milk and the balance is liand hand milked this involves a great deal of trouble and labor however and is not practicable on the average beef producing farm in I 1 n general it is said that the beef and the double nursing systems are the most satisfactory for the production 0 of f prime baby beef under ordinary circumstances calves intended for baby beef should be fed a conservative ration of grain is as oon as they will eat cat it in all cases baby beet beef calves should be fed liberally on grain for at least one month before weaning time they may be st started arted when four to sl six x weeks of age on crushed grains and after a few weeks may receive whole grain at weaning enning ii time every effort should be made to get them through without loss los of their calf fat the grain ration should be increased so that the loss of their milk ii will not be fell feil they should also be weaned gradually the entire process taking from ten to fifteen days fall born calves calved should not be weaned until after the cows coins and calves are on grass gras and spring born calves should be weaned if possible early enough in the fall to allow them some time on grass after weaning time the feeding and management of the calf cependa largely upon the time of the year it is born and the age tit at which it is to be sold suggestive calendars for the management and feeding of both spring born and fall born calves are contained in farmers bulletin the rations ration provided for the calves in these calendars consist of corn cot meil meal corn silage clover hay bay and oat straw but other substances sub tance may be substituted for them barley milo and similar grains for instance may be used in place of corn though in slightly larger quantities linseed oil meal too is a substitute for cottonseed meal if delther n either Is available the roughage should consist chiefly of a high grade leguminous hay when available oat straw should be kept before the calves at all times not because of its nutritive tive value but because of its slightly laxative aud and alterative effect eff f |