Rensselaer Union, Volume 12, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1879 — Summer Feeding Cattle. [ARTICLE]

Summer Feeding Cattle.

SjiccidD Correspondence of Thk Uxiox. Hleapant Grove, Ini>., Sept. 10. For tbe purpose of testing whether it would pay to summer feed cattle on corn, I made the following experiment: On the 3d day of March I selected 72 head of cattle that bad been well wintered on hay, and fed them 15 bushels of corn a day until the olh day ol May. 1 l.en I divided them as equally as possible as tor'quality and number, . Half of them I turned pasture and fed 15 bushels of corn daily lor 70 days—until the *24, day of July. The other hunch of 36 head were turned on pasture without corn. On the 6th day of May the firsthuncli ol cattle weighed 40v032 pounds; the second ' 1 jt, 30,168 pounds. For convenience- I estimated the value of all on the 1 . s*.li day of May at 4 cents a pound, at which price there was some profit up to that time. Tabulated, the account is as follows: May 5, 36 licnt!, 40,f1C2 pounds at 4 cents per .pound. $ ICS! JV l.I« bushel's of corn at SOccnts per , bushel SSSJO . 70days pasture aLS cents per day 85.00 Total cost. *2,012.13 July 24. rolii3l bead, 48.230 pounds * M »4.03 i-crrwt. $ 1013.80 Vnlue droppings for bogs loe w) Tw o Steers uot sold, 2.100 pouuds at 83.50 per wp... si .on r, , . . Total » Deduct cost. 2,012.10 Net profit $ 80 30 On tl c 1-jt not led uith com: M»v 5.8 C lica«l, 38,178 'pounds a* 4 ccnU |>cr pound .. .$ J.SdT.JJ IUJ days pasture at 3 cents ' 117^73 • Total cost | 1.084.84 Anp 341 h. enM-Khcad,46.773 pounds * nl *3.70 per rwt » 1.730.60 One steer not sold, 1,200 ) ound.« at 13.50 per curt. .. 42,90 Total $ 1,772.60 „* • IJedneVcost l.UdAi Net prafft..... 5 87,7 c That it will lie seen that the poorest lot'of cattle, fed entirely on pustule,at less cost >of feed and bare, returned a larger profit. Other experiments, might show different results. But I deduce from this that iu our country about the onlv advantage to be derived from feeding corn to cattle in the summer is that th« producer thus finds a market for his surplus grain. If he has to buy corn for them nothing is made by it. A. Pakkison.