Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1912 — MONEY IN CATTLE FEEDING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MONEY IN CATTLE FEEDING

By PROF. J. H. SKINNER,

Dean of Purdue University School of Agriculture

ardue University Agricultural Extension

Many fanners do not consider cattle feeding profitable, and yet if one will look at lt,as a part of an Intelligent system of farm management, and golnto it with a determination -to make the most out of it, he will usually come out successful in the end. Too many farmers look at the net cash returns from feeding a bunch oi cattle. A Many-Sided Business. .. Cattle feeding is a many-sided business, much depending on the buying and selling as well as the feeder and the feeding. The man who figures his profits oh net cash returns alone is not only looking at it unfairly, but is in addition following a short-sighted policy in regard to the business of the farm. Great Problems Confront Farmers. Three great economic problems confrontcorn belt farmers. ( First and foremost of these is the maintenance of a productive soil. Second, the profitable utilization of coarse roughage, large quantities of which is produced on every grain farm. Third, the profitable employment of labor and equipment for the entire year. The logical solution of these problems lies in keeping on the farm a sufficient number of animals capable of consuming and profitably utilizing the coarse feeds grown and at the same time returning large quantities of manure to the farm. No class of animals is better adapted to this than cattle of some kind. Sheep may be profitably kept for this purpose, but the limited number which can be successfully maintained together on the average farm is not usually sufficient to meet the need; furthermore, cattle will utilize damaged hay, straw and fodder to a better advantage than sheep. Cattle Make Productive Soils. When a sufficient number of cattle are kept, the problem of maintaining a productive soil is relatively easy. The manure produced and the bedding used not only adds plant food to the soil, but in addition has a marked Influence on the physical condition of the soil as well as the organic life in the soil. No doubt one of the limiting factors in crop production today on many farms is the available supply of moisture during cropping season. This

may be greatly Increased by the addition of vegetable matter to the soil. No more successful., or practical plan of doing this has been found than that of incorporating litter and bedding in the manure which is to be applied to the soil. Without cattle most farms have great quantities of corn stalks and straw wasted or half utilized. Where cattle are kept the stalks can be completely utilized and the straw and other coarse roughage most profitably handled and the residue returned to the soil in a desirable form. This source of wagte on many farms amounts to more than enough to pay for operating the entire farm. How to Make Cattle Profitable. To make cattle profitable a man must learn to know good cattle and buy a class of cattle suited to the needs of his particular plan of farming, at a time when market conditions are favorable. In addition, he must learn the value of different rations and methods of feeding in order to feed so as to produce rapid cheap gains and the desired finish. There is no secret art in the business. Any intelligent farmer may obtain such information if he cares to make the effort. The agricultural leges and experiment stations have the necessary information and data and will gladly assist those desiring to keep and feed cattle successfully. Five years’ results with a ration of corn, clover hay, cottonseed meal and silage at the Purdue experiment station show an-average net profit per steer of $15.34. In figuring the profits from cattle feeding one must not only look at the cash return, but take. into, consideration the manure produced, which on the average has a value of two and one-half to three dollars per ton ($2.50 to $3), the increased crop yields, the utilization of roughage and grain on the farm, the pork produced, and the saving of labor which would otherwise be necessary to market the crops grown. In other words, the whole operation must be looked at as a part of a successful system of farm management. Doubtless conditions in the near future will be such as to make It desirable and more profitable for corn-belt farmers to breed their steers rather than buy them, and any one contemplating the keeping of cattle In the near future will do well to consider this phase of the business.

A Profitable Bunch of Steers Fed Six Months—Average Daily Gain 2.58Profit Per Steer, $21.55.