TifE PEN LYVA~IA STNTE OQLE
SCHiOeo .F
BULLETIN

GFr1U'FfrR
STA~jijng19

No.

17 7

AND

EXPERIMEENT

W.

ALABAMA

Agricultural Experiment Station
OF THE

Mlabama Polytechnic Institute
AUBURN

Raising and Fattening Beef Calves in Alabama

DAN T. GRAY and W. F. WARD

Opelika, Ala. Post Publishing Company 1914

COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION.
HON. R. F. KOLB-------------------------------------------Montgomery HON. H. L. MARTIN------------------------------------------------Ozark HON. A. W. BELL---------------------------------------- -Anniston

STATION STAFF C. C. THACH, President of the College. J. F. DUGGAR, Director of Experiment Station. DEPARTMENTAL ORGANIZATION.
AGRICULTURE: BOTANY:

J.

F. Duggar, Agriculturist. E. F. Cauthen, Associate. M. J. Funchess, Assistant. J. T. Williamson, Field Agent. 0. H. Sellers, Assistant. H. B. Tisdale, Assistant.
VETERINARY ScIENCE:

J.

S. Caldwell, Botanist. A. B. Massey, Assistant.
PLANT PATHOLOGY:

F. A. Wolf, Pathologist.
HORTICULTURE:

C. A. Cary, Veterinarian. 1. 5. McAdory, Assistant.
CHEMISTRY:

Ernest Horticulturist. J. C. C. Price, Associate. G. V. Stelzenmuller, Field Agent.
ENTOMOLOGY:

Walker,

B. B. Ross, Chemist, State Chemist J. T. Anderson, Chemist, Soils and Crops. C. L. Hare, Physiological Chemist. T. Bragg, First Assistant. S. Adler, Assistant..
EXTENSION :

W. E. Hinds, Entomologist. J. E. Buck. Assistant. G. W. Ells, Field Agent.
ANIMAL INDUSTRY:

L. N. Duncan, Superintendent* J. B. Hobdy, Assistant.* N. A. Negley, Assistant. Mrs. Birdie 1. Rohinson. C. S. Jones, Assistant.

G. S. Templeton, Animal Husbandman. E. S. Girton, Assistant. S. S. Jerdan, Assistant.* A. R. Gissendanner, Assistant. J. A. McLeod, Assistant.

*In co-operation with United States Department of Agriculture

RAISING AND FATTENING BEEF CALVES IN ALABAMA.
By DAN T. GRAY, Formerly Animal Husbandman, Alabama Experiment Station, and W. F. WARD, Senior Animal Husbandman in Beef Cattle Investigations, Animal Husbandry Division, U. S. Department of Agriculture.

(Experiments made in cooperation between Alabama Experiment Station and Bureau of .Animal Industry, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.)

STATEMENT OF FORMER WORK. During the years 1906, 1907, and 1908 the Bureau of Animal Industry, working in cooperation with the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, conducted experiments in cooperation with Mr. J. S. Kernachan, of Sheffield, Ala., to obtain definite information regarding the cost of raising grade steers to the feed lot period under average southern conditions. (See Bulletin 131 of the Bureau, or 150, Alabama Experiment Station.) The animals used in the Kernachan work were a herd of grade Aberdeen-Angus cows, headed by two pure-bred AberdeenAngus bulls. During the summer months the herd grazed upon a good pasture; no feed was given in addition to the pasture. This pasture was made up principally of white clover, Japan clover (lespedeza), several varieties of native grasses, and some Bermuda. This afforded the animals abundant pasture for about seven months of the year. During the winter all of the cattle, young and old, had the run of the range, which consisted of old corn and cotton fields, with some cane along the river and creek banks. In addition to the winter range, hay and cotton seed were fed, so that when spring came the cattle were in reasonably good flesh. The young stock made gains during the winter, but the cows and older animals usually lost in weight during the latter part of the winter. These cows and calves were allowed to become infested with the cattle tick, but when they became badly infested they were greased on those parts of the body where ticks were most numerous. The presence of the cattle tick, together with an outbreak of tuberculosis, caused the steers to be produced at an abnormally high figure, as the ticks no doubt materially retarded the growth of the steers and the tuberculosis caused several deaths. Even when these two extremely unfavorable conditions are taken into consideration, the calves and steers were still produced at a profit. The authors state thatWhen all the expenses, as deaths, rent on pasture, interest on

72
money, etc., were charged against the animals and no credit was made for the manure, the expense of producing a steer varied from $4.96 to $5.25 per 100 pounds, as fo'lows: To 12 months of age, $5.25 per hundredweight. To 24 months of age, $4.96 per hundredweight. To 30 months of age, $5.05 per hundredweight. To 33 months of age, $5 per hundredweight. These figures mean that if the animals are sold for the above prices, the feeds used are marketed at a good farm price; all deaths are deducted; 7 per cent interest is received on the money invested in the animals; $2.50 an acre is secured as rent for the summer pasture, and finally the manure is secured free.

DETAILS OF THE EXPERIMENT. As noted above, conditions surrounding the previous herd were not entirely satisfactory, as the animals were infested with ticks and affected with tuberculosis, consequently the test reported in this bulletin was undertaken with a herd which was free from tuberculosis and was rapidly being made free from cattle ticks, as every animal on the farm was dipped in an arsenical solution every two weeks. No ticks were seen on the calves during the progress of the test.
OBJECTS OF THE WORK.

(1) To learn what it would cost to raise a beef calf to an age of approximately 91/2 months under average farm conditions. (2) To determine the profit, if any, in finishing these young calves for the market during the winter months, and selling them when about 12 months old.
THE CATTLE USED.

The principal objects of the work were:

The animals used in this work were a herd of grade Aberdeen-Angus, a few grade Shorthorns, and four or five native cows, headed by two bulls, one of which was a purebred Aberdeen-Angus, while the other one was a highgrade Aberdeen-Angus. The owner of the herd, Mr. E. F. Allison, of Sumter County, Ala., with whom the work was conducted, began several years previously the work of grading up scrub cows which had been bought from some of the neighboring farmers. Consequently, when the herd was entered in this experimental work it was under normal conditions and consisted of individuals considerably above the average of the State. As far as breeding and quality were concerned the Kernachan and Allison herds were very similar. The cows in both tests were small, those in the Sumter County experiment averaging only 630 pounds in weight February 9, 1911. However, at this time of the year they were poor and were in their lightest form. In the fall of the year, before losing any of their normal summer weight, they averaged perhaps 800 pounds in weight.

It will be seen later that these small cows raised calves
which attained1 an average time they were 12 months era(Ved about 830 Pounds winter. 1nit the calves from weight of 560) pounds by the old. The Kernachan cows avin wveight at the end of the these larger cows were unuder-

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sizedl, due largely, perhaps, to the pres~ence of the cattle tick. As a resuit of the use of good hulls, the calves obtained from these grade cows were, as a rule, good ones. They wxere in the first place much larger than the av erage calves of the State, andi in the second place measured up much more closely to tihe idleal beef conformation than calves obtained irom native cow s.
Th e cow wex' bred so as to have calves dlropiped du0ringo re the( sl)1int" mon1t h s. D uring the summer mon tlis the animalls, both younig and old, grazed up)on a modlerately good p~astule lino teed except salt xxas given in addition to the pas ture. D uring these pasture rmonth s the cows ate nothing but paisturec grasses while the calves had the cows' mnilk ini ad(di tion1 to thle grasses. The main pasture w'as made up p)rincip~ally of Japamn clo\ er andl broom sedge,

wiich had come natuiirally a fter the clearing of the land. Th is lar,-e pasture consisted of approximately 1000 acres, but a veryv large part wvas coveredl "xith trees; tinder t hese trees the ground was bare. .A small adjoining pasture of

74

approximately 30 acres had been partly set to Bermuda, but this was used only occasionally for some calves. These permanent pastures afforded the animals reasonably good grazing for about six months of the year. When the pastures became exhausted in the late fall the calves were weaned, the males castrated, and the cows and calves placed in separate fields and fed and managed differently. The cows were placed in the old corn and cotton fields, thus being fed the rough feeds of the farm along with small amounts of cottonseed cake. The calves were prepared for the winter fattening period. The following short statements give a brief history of the management of the cows and the lives of the calves from January 1, 1911, to April 1, 1912:
(1) The calves were born during the months of January, February, March, and April in 1911. The majority were born in March and April. At this time the cows were running in a field of 640 acres. which had a small growth of cane, a part of this field consisted of old corn and cotton fields. (2) The cows ate nothing except the cane and what roughage they secured from the old corn and cotton fields until January 23. By this time the rough field feeds had been pretty well consumed, consequently a small daily feed of cottonseed cake was introduced to supplement the range. The feeding of cottonseed cake was continued until April 14. On this date the cows and calves were all turned into the large permanent pasture, and the ration of cottonseed cake was fed until May 7, as the season that year was exceedingly unfavorable for the early growth of pasture grasses. (3) During the summer months the cows and calves ran together in the large pasture. (4) The cows and calves were separated September 25. The calves were placed in a field containing old cornstalks, crab grass, and cowpeas. They remained in this field until October 7, when they were transferred to a field of peanuts which were to be subsequently grazed off by hogs. This peanut field afforded grazing until October 16 when they were returned to the corn and cowpea field. They were kept in this field until November 24, but were fed a small amount of cottonseed cake in addition, beginning with 1 pound of cake per calf per day on October 28 and gradually increasing the amount to 2 pounds. By November 24 the supply of feed in this field was exhausted, so the calves were transferred to a third field of cornstalks and crab grass, where they remained until the fattening period was inaugurated. (5) By December 21 all of the available rough feeds of the farm had been consumed, and the calves were placed in a small barn lot and fattened for the early spring market. During this fattening period they were fed cottonseed meal, corn silage, and a cheap quality of broom-sedge hay. (6) The calves were shipped to New Orleans and sold April 1, 1912. (7) The bulls were allowed to run with the cows the year round. This, however, was found to be a poor practice, as the date of calving could not be regulated. When the bulls are with the cows continuously the first calves come too early in the season, and the last calves come too late. It is a much better prac-

75
tice to keep the bulls away from the herd of cows all the time except during the usual and proper breeding season.
PRICES AND CHARACTER OF FEEDS.

Cottonseed meal, cottonseed cake, pastures, corn silage, and broom-sedge hay were all used in the test. Cottonseed meal, corn-silage, and the hay were fed to the calves during the fattening period. The cows during the winter of 1911-12 were not given silage, as the supply was limited, but there is no doubt that both the cows and the calves would have done much better if the cows had been All of given a liberal quantity of this succulent feed. the feeds except the broom-sedge hay were of good quality. The cottonseed meal and cottonseed cake were fresh and bright. The corn silage was also of excellent quality; it was made of corn which would have yielded about 30 bushels of grain to the acre. While the hay was bright, clean, and well cured, it was of exceedingly poor quality, as broom-sedge will not make a good quality of hay. It is, however, a roughage that should not be wasted. In work of this character the financi.l statement is not as exact as might be desired, because the price of feeds, as well as of cattle, fluctuates considerably from year to year. The financial outcome of a particuar experiment may not be duplicated by the cattle raiser or feeder, owing to the different conditions under which he is operating. The prices listed in this bulletin were the actual prices paid for the feeds (except corn silage and broom-sedge hay, which were made on the farm) and the actual prices realized for the cattle. This test was conducted during the yinter of 1911-12; prices have not changed materially since that time. The following were the prices of the feeds, those of corn silage and hay being estimated: Cottonseed meal and cottonseed cake $26 a ton, corn silage $3 a ton, and broom-sedge hay $5 a ton.
METHODS OF CONDUCTING THE WORK.

The herd was kept -and fed under average farm conditions. E. F. Allison, a farmer and stockman of Sumter County, Ala., agreed to cooperate, and the feeding was all done upon his farm. Mr. Allison furnished the cattle and the feed, while the work was planned and the feeding carried on under the supervision of the authors of this bulletin. E. R. Eudaly was stationed as assistant on the farm and had personal supervision of the experiment. No barns or other artificial shelter were provided for the cows. During the winter months they were in fields where trees, together with the underbrush, afforded ample protection for mature animals. The calves, however,

76 were provided with excellent shelter during the winter. While being fattened they were inclosed in a small lot in which was a good barn. The doors were always open so that they could go in and out at will. They.were fed twice each day in troughs placed under the extending eaves of the barn. The calves were fed in such amounts that the feed was all eaten within a short time after it was put before them. An abundance of pure water and salt was provided all the time. At the close of the test the calves which had been fattened were sold and shipped to New Orleans. The experimental farm was located 4 miles from Bellamy, Ala., the nearest railroad station, and the animals were driven to that point to be loaded on the cars.
THSEEXPE SE OF RAISING THE CALVES TO WEANING TIME.

As previously stated, the majority of the calves were born in March and April. During the winter months the cows grazed the old corn and stalk fields and some "switch" cane which grew along the banks of a small stream. Beginning January 23, or immediately after the first cows dropped calves, the cows were given some cottonseed cake each day. As the grass was slow to establish itself in the spring of 1912 it was necessary to continue feeding the cows a small amount of cake until May 7. During the period from January 23 to May 7 the 80 cows consumed 6,390 pounds of cottonseed cake in addition to the feed they secured from the winter range and the early pastures. This was an average daily feed of a little less than 1 pound of cake for each cow, as they were fed for a period of 104 days. The cows were wintered in an unusually economical manner, and the farmer who lives on an average Alabama farm must expect to use more feed than was given to these cows, as the average farm at the present time has only a small acreage of old corn and cotton fields. It was these fields which made it possible to get the cows through the winter in such a cheap manner. The calves were not put in the fattening lot at the date of weaning, September 25. It had been planned to graze two or three fields by them before the finishing period arrived; consequently, as soon as they were taken from the cows, they were placed in a 50-acre field containing corn-stalks, crab grass, and cowpeas. The peas had been planted at the last cultivation of the corn. The calves remained in this field until October 7, when they were transferred to a field of peanuts, which had been grown for hogs; they were taken to this field to graze off the tops of the peanuts. This small field afforded grazing for

77 nine days, or until October 16, when the calves were taken back to the first field of old cornstalks and peas, where they were kept until November 24. This field did not, however, afford sufficient feed to produce gains, so on October 28 it was decided to add cottonseed cake. The cake was introduced at the rate of 1 pound per calf daily and gradually increased to 2 pounds. The 50-acre cornfield was so completely grazed by November 24 as to provide no further feed, so the calves were transferred to a second field of cornstalks, cowpeas, and crab grass, which had been saved from them. They remained in this second field, all the while eating 2 pounds of cottonseed cake per calf per day, until December 21, when they were taken to the barn, shut up in a small lot, and started on a preliminary ration of cottonseed meal, corn silage, and broom-sedge hay. By January 17 they were all accustomed to the new ration, and the fattening period was inaugurated. On this date they averaged approximately 91 months of age. The following brief statement gives a short summary of the important facts of the cost of raising these calves to 91/ months of age:
COST TO.. RAISE CALVES TO AN AGE OF 91/s MONTHS.

To 6,390 pounds of cottonseed cake eaten by the cows from Jan. 1, 1911, to Jan. 1, 1912, at $26 a ton........ $ 83 To pasture rent for whole herd of 80 cows..............250 To taxes on $2, 80 invested in cattle..................4 To interest on $2,380 invested in cattle, at 6per cent. .. 142 To 4,750 pounds of cottonseed cake fed calves in Novem61 ber:and December....... ....................... To 3,425 pounds of cottonseed meal fed calves Dec. 21 .......... ............ 44 to Jan. 16.............. To 24,035 pounds of silage fed calves Dec. 21 to Jan 16. 36 . .. . 58 To labor devoted to cattle during year . . . . . . cent depreciation in value of breeding cattle. . 238 To 10 per Total Average Average Average

07 00 60 80 75 53 05 50 00

$919 30 cost of 64 calves to 9I/2 months of age ........ 460 weight of each calf Jan. 16, 1912 .. . pounds. . 36 cost of each calf...........................$14 12 .3 cost per hundredweight. ....................

In studying the above financial statement the reader should understand that the cost of raising calves varies very materially from place to place. They were raised to an age of 91/2 months on this farm at a cost of $3.12 a hundredweight. On a second farm it may cost more, and on a third it may cost less. Each item noted above may not be duplicated upon another farm. The pasture rent, the taxes, the interest, the prices of feeds, and the cost of labor all vary in different localities. When these calves had reached an approximate age of 91/ months they had attained an average weight of 460 pounds. While this is not a heavy weight, still it is much

greao~ter~ than that u stally attainedI Il

native

Ala81(diima

In the expierimenltal wor)k carried oni in coopec ationl wxith '1r. IKernachnn, of Shellheld, Ala., the calv e, at 12 monmth s of age, 1had reachiedl an average we i ght oft Tho se calv es, hiowever, wxere inftested only 10)2 pllunds~l. wxi th cattle ticks, whii ch nio doubt v ery materially inpededl the' rate of gzrowthi. Icx the time the cailxes h ad reached a avaxerage age of 1 186 or 5:1.12 pcr In1n91 mont his, each onle had11 cost (lied xxeight. "These fignli e include t h( co st of aill the felds wxhiich xxere given to loth the cmxx and the cadves, the rent on the palsturei, the taxes, and initerest on t.he i money invxes tell in thle cattle, the Ia hor reqired to care for andi ell both thle coxxs ),il thle oat's linu!.. andl Ili l T i~ cenit depreciation in i value of the breeding hierd. cattle xwere not crelditell xxith thie manure 1(r) alic.da thecrc xxas no xxay to dletermline t hiis factor accurately. calves.
Th~e calves wxerc raised to the fattening- peiod, at a c(< o~f g1I.18(; each . On that (kite they had attained an avli_1 ahun erage xxeight of 160) pioundis, s1o it cost h2

.A

k

,.-lY

wxeight to raise them. They xwere cllnsellnently entered 12 in the fattening p~eriodl at an initial cost ofI $l;. per

1hundhredwxe ight. There xxas a toltal of (31 calves in the herd, Ilit all of them xxerc noit fattenedl f or thle market. Thie oxwner xwished to bluildI up the b reeding hierd, so 15 o f the het

79

heifers were kept on the farm. The remaining 49 calves were placed in the feed lot and given a ration of cottonseed meal, corn silage, and broom-sedge hay. The 15 heifers which were left on the farm were valued at $15 each. This figure is incorporated later in the financial statement as a credit to the increase in value of the herd. The fattening period proper began January 17, 1912, although the calves had been on a ration of cottonseed meal, corn silage, and broom-sedge hay since December 21. A short time was necessarily required to get the animals accustomed to their new feeds. The cost of the feeds they ate during the preliminary period from December 21 to January 17 was charged against the cost of raising the calves, and not against the cost of fattening. At the beginning of the test proper each calf was eating daily 3 pound of cottonseed meal, approximately 20 pounds of corn silage, and 4 pounds of hay. The allowance of meal was raised gradually throughout the whole period of 76 days, until at the last each calf was eating 6 pounds daily. At one.time each calf was consuming as much as 28 pounds of silage each day, but they would not continue to eat this much, so at the end of the period, April 1, they were eating an average of only 20 pounds per calf per day. The allowance of hay was gradually decreased from the first. At the middle of the period each calf consumed daily not over 3 pounds of hay, and near the end an exceedingly small allowance met their desires. From the middle of March to April 1 they averaged less than 1 pound of hay per calf per day. The fattening period continued for a period of 76 days, or until April 1, when the 49 calves were sold and then shipped to New Orleans. They brought $5.871/2 a hundredweight on the farm. The following gives a short summary of the most important results obtained during the fattening period:
THE FATTENING PERIOD (JAN. 17-APR. 1).

Number of calves in lot............................ Number of days fed............................... Average initial weight....................pounds.. Average final weight........................do.... Average total gain of each calf ................. do. . . . Average daily gain..........................do.... Average daily ration per calf: Cottonseed meal........................do.... Corn silage............................do.... H ay ................................... do .... Amount of feed required to produce 100 pounds of gain: Cottonseed meal ....................... do .... Corn silage ........................... do....

49 76 456 560 104 1.37 4.4 23.9 2.76 323 1,741

80
do.... Hay ................................. $ Cost to make 100 pounds of gain .................... Profit on each calf as a result of fattening .............. Initial cost of calves per hundredweight............... 5 Selling price on the farm per hundredweight ............ 201 7 31 8 88 3 12 87

/2

As previously stated, it cost $3.12 per hundredweight to raise these calves to an age of 91/2 months, and they were valued at this figure at the inauguration of the finishing period. At the end of the fattening period they sold for an average price of $5.871/2 per hundredweight on the farm and made a clear profit of $8.88 per calf. The average weight of the calves at the beginning of the fattening period was 456 pounds. When sold, April 1, they had attained an average weight of 560 pounds and were approximately 1 year old. During this period they gained at an average daily rate of 1.37 pounds. The only purchased feed used in the fattening period was cottonseed meal. The other two feeds, corn silage and broom-sedge hay, were made on the farm, the silage being valued at $3 a ton and the cheap hay at $5 a ton. Before a farmer spends $26 for a ton of cottonseed meal he should know whether or not he will get his money back in the shape of profit on the cattle. On this particular farm the two feeds, corn silage and hay, were produced at home, and the object was to find a profitable market for them. While the cottonseed meal cost $26 a ton, it was fed to the calves and sold, by means of them, for $78.64 a ton. The corn silage was valued at only $3 a ton, but it was sold by means of the calves for $12.74 a ton in this particular test. An abnormally high price was realized on the hay because only a small amount was used. The authors do not claim that such favorable results can always be secured, but these results, taken together with those previously secured during the progress of the beef investigational work in Alabama, show that the farmer can usually well afford to buy certain commercial feeds for his animals, and it is usually to his advantage to feed the home-grown feeds to live stock rather than sell them on the market.
RAISING AND FATTENING PERIODS TAKEN TOGETHER.

The following gives a brief outline of the whole life of the calves; this comprises both the raising and the finishing periods, and includes a full statement of the total expense of both the cows and the calves:
TOTAL SUMMARY.

Number of cows in herd .............................. Number of breeding bulls in herd ..

,...............

80 2

81
Number of calves raised ........................... To pasture rent for whole herd..................$ To taxes on $2,380 invested in herd................. To interest at 6 per cent on $2,380 invested in herd. .. To 6,390 pounds of cottonseed cake fed to breeding cows during January, February, March, and April. To 4,750 pounds of cotton seed cake fed calves in November and December ......................... To 3,425 pounds of cottonseed meal fed calves from Dec. 21 to Jan 16 ..... ......................... To 24,035 pounds of silage fed calves from Dec. 21 to Jan. 16. ..................................... To 16,600 pounds of cottonseed meal fed calves from Jan. 17 to April 1.............................. To 89,545 pounds of corn silage fed calves from Jan. 17 to April 1 .................................... To 10,377 pounds of broom-sedge hay fed calves from Jan. 17 to April 1........ ..................... To labor devoted to cattle during the year ............ To 10 per cent depreciation of the value of the breeding cattle ................................. ...... Total expenses of the herd..................... 64 250 00 4 60 142 80 83 07 61 75 44 53 36 05 215 80 134 32 25 94 58 50 238 00 $1,295 36

.

Average cost of each calf when 1 year old ............ $20 24 Average weight of each calf when 1 year old.. pounds.. 560 Average cost, per hundredweight, to raise and fatten calves ...................................... $ 3 61 Amount of money received for 49 fat calves...........1,506 55 Value of 15 heifers left on farm for breeding ........ 225 00 Total income of herd during 1911-12................1,731 55 Total profit.on herd during 1911-12................ 436 19 Average profit on each calf (64 calves) ............. 6 81 Average profit on each cow (80 cows) ............... . 5 45

The herd consisted of 80 cows, but only 64 calves were raised to an age of 1 year; this is, however, an excellent record. This is much better than the results reported on the Kernachan herd, when only 70.8 per cent and 72 per cent of the cows dropped calves during the springs of 1906 and 1907, respectively. The breeder can not expect every cow in the herd to drop a calf each year. It is important, however, that as many of the cows as possible produce calves each year; the idle cows are not only idle capital but they are constant consumers of farm products. The idle cow has a very important part to play in the total expense of raising a calf, as the expense of keeping her must be charged against the calves which other cows produce. To illustrate: The above table shows that a clear profit of $6.81 was made on each one of the 64 calves,

but when the total number of cows was taken into consideration it is seen that a clear profit of only $5.45 was realized on each. It cost $1,295.35 to care for and feed the whole herd

82

during one year's time. This figure includes all possible expenses, as cost of labor, interest on investment, depreciation in the value of the herd, cost of pasture and all other feeds, and taxes. Forty-nine fat calves were sold for $1,506.55; 15 good heifer calves were kept on the farm for future breeding purposes, and they were valued at only $15 each. When the value of these 15 calves, $225, is added to the sum received for the fat calves, the total income of the herd is raised to $1,731.55. A total profit of $436.19 was consequently realized on the whole herd of 80 cows. The results are, of course, entirely satisfactory, as they represent profits above the interest on the money invested, while the value of the manure made on the farm is not taken into consideration. The worth of the manure should never be neglected but there was no way to determine the exact amount produced and no approximation was made.
SUMMARY STATEMENTS.

(1) The objects of this test were, first, to learn what it would cost to raise beef calves to an age of approximately 91/2 months, under average farm conditions, and, second, to determine the profit, if any, in finishing these young calves for the market during the winter months and selling them when about 12 months old. (2) A herd of 80 cows, mostly grade Aberdeen-Angus, were employed. From this herd 64 calves were raised during the year 1911. (3) The calves were born during the spring months and ran with their mothers on pasture until late fall, when they were weaned and prepared for the fattening period, which was inaugurated on January 17, 1912, and continued until April 1, 1912. (4) In all, there were 64 calves, but only 49 of these were fattened for the market. The owner wished to build up the breeding herd, so 15 of the best heifers were kept on the farm for future breeding. (5) When the calves were 91/ months old the 64 had attained an average weight of 460 pounds. (6) It cost $14.36 to raise each calf to an age of 91/2 months. This cost includes all the possible expenses, or cost of all feed eaten by both cows and calves, interest on money invested in cattle, rent on pastures, taxes, depreciation on the value of the herd, etc. The average cost per hundredweight was $3.12. (7) Forty-nine of the 64 calves were then placed in the feed lot. These 49 animals averaged 456 pounds in

83 weight at the beginning of the fattening period and 560 pounds at the close. They, therefore, gained at the average daily rate of 1.37 pounds. (8) Each calf, during the fattening period, ate daily 4.4 pounds of cottonseed meal, 23.9 pounds of corn silage, and 2.76 pounds of broom-sedge hay. (9) To make 100 pounds of increase in live weight required the use of 323 pounds of cottonseed meal, 1,741 pounds of corn silage, and 201 pounds of hay, costing $7.31. (10) When the calves were fat they were sold on the farm for $5.871/2 a hundredweight. It cost only $3.61 per hundredweight to raise and fatten them. (11) The total profit on the herd during 1911-12 was $436.19 or an average of $6.81 for each calf.