je
; THESIS

ee USN
{  FEEDINGIN MICH =}
F, L, WOODWORTH

 
 

_ THESIS

 
Senior Agricultural Thesis

on

"METHODS OF STEER FEEDING IN MICHIGAN.*

by

F; L. Woodworth,
Class of '98.

Michigan Agricultural Collere,

Agricultural College, Mich.
THESIS
METHODS OF STEER FEEDING IN MICHIGAN.

Steer feeding in Michigan has become an industry
of sufficient size to demand attention. All over the State
men are devoting their whole time and attention to this
Agricultural pursuit.

There has been a great deal of discussion in the farn
papers and at Farmer's Institutes as to the best methods
of steer feeding, but the methods suggested have been so
contradictory, and made to suit such varied conditions,
that little can be drawn from then.

I have tried to gather the methods of the best feeders
in Michigan, and to find, if possible tne one best practice
in each of the many details that confront the practical
feeder.

I secured the names of the best feeders by writing
to the commission men in Buffalo and Chicago, and from the
State Institute workers. Of course the list may exclude
many of the best in the state, and include a few inferior
feeders; but most of the names came to me recommended by

several as first class feeders. The list is as follows:

L. D. Watkins, Manchester,
W. C. Wildley, Paw Paw,

F. R. Smith, Somerset,
Jesse B. Cole, Williamston,
S. D. Dennis, "

O. D. Corwin, tt

LOLASR
W. M. Gaffney,
Byron Bray,

Cc. D. Chatfield,
F. Hart Smith,
W. Jd. HE. Wheeler,
vw. KR. Drevett,
Jason Woodman,
B. H. Sevison,
Cyrus G. Luce,
C. R. Dodge,
Cyrus L. Wilcox,
Watson Bros.,
Wm. Dennis,

C. E. White,

Wm. Conley,
James Hogan,
John S. Flint,
William Wright,
J. W. Howard,
Frank Garman,

Fred E. Randolph,

West Bay City,
Union City,
Bay City,
Addison,
Pulaski,
Commerce,
Coldwater,
Constantine,
Coldwater,
Vandalia,
North Adams,
Pulaski,
Wiliiamston,
Dowagiac,
Marshall,
Clinton,
Brooklyn,
North Adams,
Pulaski,
Bronson,

North Adams.

The questions were prepared with the assistance of
Prof. Mumford, and sent to about sixty feeders. /nswers
were received from those named above.

I will give the results from each question separately.

Question l. Of what breeds dado you prefer grades for
fattening?

Almost without exception the answers include the

Shorthorn; many only mentioned this one breed. The majority
of the answers say "Any fooc peef preed, * including in
this the Shorthorn, Hereforc and Angus. The general ex-
perience seems to be that any good well shaped steer of
good size will do,but beef grades are preferred because
they will sell better on account of their markings.

Question II. No you Dehnorn?

Seventy-five per cent of the answers were in the
affirmative, and most of those that were not decidedly in
favor of it would practice it under certain circumstances.
F, Hart Smith answered: "I have practiced but little dehorn-
ing myself, but in purchasing steers for feeding, other
things being equal, prefer steers without horns. - - -
From observation would advise dehorning, ir it could be
done when young; not to exceed eighteen months o1d."*

A few thought thet the animal loses more by the opera-
tion than he gains. All say that the best time to dehorn
is when young.

Question III. Do you tie them, or let them run loose?

Tre answers to this question varied greatly; about
sixty per cent favored letting them run loose, and forty
per cent tieing. Some of them said that if the animal was
Over a year old when bought, and had horns, he should be
tied; but if hornilecs he should run loose. It was notice-
able that the feeders who were in the business on the
largest scale favored letting them run loose.

The majority favored keeping in a pen with mangers
on sides.

Question IV. If you tie them, what kind of a tie

and stall do you use?

The majority of thore that made a rreetice of tieing
 

preferred a double stall and to tie with chains around the
neck. About trelve per scent favored stantions, and fifteen
per cent ropes around the horns.

Question V. How many times a day do you feed grain?

The answers were almost unanimous in favor of twice
aday. About nine per cent said three times, and six per
cent once; some used self feeders. Of course the number
of times grain is fed is greatly influenced by the quality
and quantity of rough feed, and the time of vear during
which the feeding operations are being carried on.

Question VI. What provision do you make for exercise?

The almost universal practice seems to be to keep the
steers in until about 9 A. M., and let them run out ina
small yard until about 4 P. M. A few only let them out
to water; others let them out all day. All say that the:
state of the weather should, in a measure, decide the
length of time the animal should be out.

Question VII. How much grain do you consider full
feed for a two year old?

The general practice seems to be expresred in the
often repeated answer “All he will eat clean." This amount
varies very much in the minds of different feeders; of
course it is influenced by the rough fodder to a great
extent. The amounts given vary from ten quarts of corn
meal to twenty-four quarts of corn and cob meal. Many
feed corn and oats, the amount usually given being about
twelve quarts.

Question VIII. Upon what kind of rough fodder do you
mostly depend?
The great majority use corn stalks, usually with hay
or straw. Those that use hay prefer clover.

This is one of the parts of steer feeding that brings
in a profit. Most of the feeders depend on feeding a lot
of unsalable rough feed, and thus getting some return from
what would otherwise be a dead loss.

Question IX. Do you feed your grain ground or unground?

Forty-five per cent favored unground, forty per cent
rround and fifteen rer cent both.

Question X. Give priefly your experience in feeding
ensilare.

Ninety-seven per cent of the various answers were
"Never used it;" three per cent consider it the best winter
feed. It was noticeable that those that favored it were
dairymen as well as steer feeders; this probably accounts
for their answers in favor of it.

Question XI. Give briefly your experience in feeding
unhusked corn.

Thirty per cent had never used it, or considered it
unprofitable and wasteful; fifteen per cent favored it for
use in the early fall "to begin on", but considered it
wasteful after that. Fifty-five per cent give it as the
pest feed; many use it almost exclusively. The usual
method seems to be to leave the corn in the field till
needed, then draw to the feeding place. Pigs are turned
in behind the cattle, and they work over the dropping for
the undigested grain. This is a practice that is in favor
with most prominent feeders. It is said that a hog will

gain two hundred pounds in one feeding season.
Question XII. What do you consider a good average
daily gain?

The answers varies from one to three pounds; sixty
per cent said two pounds, and seven per cent had never kept
any figures to calculate from.

Question XIII. What age and weight of steers do you
prefer?

Here there was a great divergence of opinion. The
ages varied from one to three years, and the weights from
seven hundred to twelve hundred pounds.

The majority favor a steer about two years old, and
weighing one thousand pounds. A few who are feeding for
the export trade prefer larger animals,

The practice seems to be to get just as large steers
as possible that will be two years old in the spring. Of
course those tnat feed to sell in the sumer buy yearlings
in the fall, winter them over, and sell when they are
coming two.

Question XIV. In your judgment, how mich does it
cost to produce a pound of gain?

This question was not received with very great favor;
it seemed to touch a sore spot; only about forty per cent
answered the question definitely. Several said "Too mish,"
or "more than you get for it;" but of those that answered
the amount varied all the way from two to six cents. The
average amount given was four and five tenths cents. The
majority said that the cost "depends on price of feed."

I quote from Ex-Governor Cyrus G. Luce: "No feeder can give
an exact answer to the question "How mich does it cost to

produce a pouna of sain." I have fed corn when its market
value was one dollar ($1.00) per bushel, and have fed it
when its market value was sixteen cents."

Steer feeding is a peculiar business, the locality,
market and many other things effect the methods so much
that very fev definite conclusions may be drawn. I cor-
responded at length with several of the most prominent
reeders. One problem on which I found a great difference
of opinion is the time to finish feeding. The majority
agree with F. Hart Smith, from whom I quote: "I claim that
there is no time in the year that beef cattle can be made
so cheaply on the average Michigan farm as in the fall."
Further, he says that this could be accomplished "by feed—
ing plenty of shock oorn at first, but after the corn be-
comes hard use corn and oat meal or corn meal and bran, or,
better still, the three combined in say equal parts.*

In writing and talking to these feeders, I tried to
learn something of their business methods. Most of them
have some commission man that they rely on to do their
selling.

They have many methods of getting their steers to
fatten. All agree that the money in steer feeding is in
the buying. The effort is to get a steer that will take
on weight eesiiy. To get these they go to many Aifferent
places; many go to the city stockyards and buy steers that
pave arrived there unfitted for market, some pick them up
around the country anywhere they can get them, while others
who have lots of pasture buy all the beef calves they can
get cheap, and raise their own feeders. All agree that

this is the most profitable way, in one has the conveniences.
None of the feeders scen to think that stock feeding
is any short cut to wealth, but all agree with Cyrus ¢G.
Luce, who writes: "The truth is that the feeder mist use

broad judgment and discretion if he makes eattle feeding

in this country pay expenses."
 

   
Yuu

\/3

“o
oo

“~ é ,
7} t \ 4

 
 

WT
3 1293 02670 9638