CiL- mi ^ McCoMBIE-AuLD C O LLE CT I O N NEW- YORK-STATE COLLEGE o^AGRlCULTURE SF 207 FIq'"*" ''"'^'■'''y Library Beef production ir) the East. 3 1924 002 979 817 Beef Produdion in the Ea^. CLARENCE "W. ECHARDT 3 1 Nassau Street New YorR The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924002979817 I HIS BOOKLET has been prepared in a desire to stimulate the establishment of herds and flocks of meat animals by Eastern farmers, and particularly to promote the produdion on our farms here of more of the beef we consume, instead of shipping it long distances to our markets. Fads are produced to show the practical possibility and opportunity for profit in the enterprise. It is well known that more live stock on our farms means added fertility of the soil and increased grain yields. Breeders of the leading beef breeds of cattle can testify to a growing interest in New York and New England in this subject and a general desire for more in- formation and enlightenment. The attention of officials and members of State Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations is most earnestly directed to a practical way in which they can assist in the important work of supplying this need by the conduct of experiments in the feeding of steers of the beef breeds, along the lines of those carried on in the Middle and Western States. The students of our colleges would thus secure at first hand, a thorough knowledge of the subject and return to the farms trained in modern methods of beef production. Visitors would also be able to learn much in regard to up-to-date methods of feeding and management. The experiments carried on by the Western Stations are of but little value to the farmers of the East. The establishment of classes for steers at State and County Fairs would also be of great educational value Meat production in the East on acres now idle or not yielding to full capacity would at this particular time prove of great economic value and the movement in this direction is worthy of the encouragement and full support of commercial bodies and Governmental agencies. The large industrial centres here would benefit by an added production of meat near at hand and also by the increased grain yield which follows the keeping of more live stock. The farmers and stockmen of the whole country will join hands in loyal and earnest effort to meet the demands upon them for an increased food supply, in doing so, they are entitled to a fair return for their labor and freedom from un- wise legislation and price-fixing. Let the increased production our lands are capable of be stimulated and encouraged — not restricted. CLARENCE W. ECKARDT. New York, I 9 I 8 A BEEF PRODUCER. Our two year old Stock Bull, Evenest of Bleaton, winner of First Prize at International, Chicago, 1917 and Grand Champion Bull at Eastern States Exposition and New York State Fair 1917, carrying in his veins the blood of the Champions of the Highland, Royal EngUsh and lead- ing shows of Great Britain. ^s Beef for the East Clarence W. Echardt There is a great need for more beef cattle on Eastern farms. The advantages to be gained in the development of the enterprise here are each year becoming better known. To increase the number of beef animals does not mean that the dairy herds should be diminished, for we cannot gel along with a less amount of milk, butter or dairy products, and an increasing amount will each year be required. The production of milk and the successful maintenance of a dairy herd require conditions not to be found on the majority of Eastern farms. The location must be favorable for shipping or convenient to collecting stations. The land must lend itself to intensive cultivation economically. Buildings and equipment of the most modern type are required in order to conform with necessary sanitary conditions imposed to properly protect the health of the communities to which the product is shipped, and to keep to a mmimum the expense for labor which must be watched so closely in this enterprise. Nine but dairy cattle bred for high production can be profitably employed in the herd. The production of milk and dairy products is fast becoming a highly special- ized business, requiring for success the favorable conditions named above, combined with expert knowledge and ability to everlastingly watch and master the details which make for success or failure. The scrub cow or animal of uncertain record has no place in the modern dairy herd — in fact, the business is similar to a manufacturing enterprise where condi- tions such as location, stock, expense, labor and management must be studied with keen discernment. The great increase in the cost of dairy products and the rising values of beef animals have caused farmers to look more closely into the question of beef produc- tion. The beef consumed in the great cities, towns, and even the country districts of the East, is raised euid fed in the West and South and shipped long distances to our markets. More of this, the chiefest of our food supply, should and can be raised here. Our lands are capable of producing it. During the past forty years the number of meat animals on Eastern farms has decreased, while the population has increased by leaps and bounds. To re-establish the same proportion of beef animals to population as existed at that time, it has been estimated by competent authorities would require an in- crease in our Eastern States of several million head of cattle — figures that are staggering. A CHampion Steer at CHicago International Our best experts have given it as their opinion that satisfactory prices for beef cattle can reasonably be expected to continue. Comparatively small numbers of steers during the past years have been fed in the East. It is, however, becoming each year more difficult to buy feeding steers of the right quality, at a price which will show a profit when finished. The range Icmds of the West are being cut up and can no longer be depended upon to supply the need. Mr. Frank S. Hastings, manager of the famous S. M. S. Ranch, writing in The Breeders Gazette, says: "There can be no question that increased beef production, if we are to have it, must come from small farms in old settled districts. The end of the war is going to find the United States studying economies in every branch of industry. The old world will study, too, but it has been studying for a century, and we have been living in a luxury of waste in America. There is one great truth that we must acknowledge as a dominant force after the war — it may almost be considered the eleventh commandment — it is: 'Thou shalt not commit waste.' Soil conserva- tion must be the basic principle of farming, and that means manure; and manure means stock — not a part of the time, but all the time. We need an alchemy that will convert waste into beef and manure. Grain can be used in many ways, grass or roughage only in one. It is the waste in forage that must be stopped. "Years ago the old cow was an institution on every middle-state farm. Then the great ranges began to produce steers good enough for any cornbelt feed-lot, and the owners were glad to sell them at a price much below what the older states could produce them for. So that when they could lay in a well-bred weaning calf at $16, which cost them $25 to produce, the owhers sold the cow and drew on the range. It does not cost much more to produce the calf in the old states now than it did ten years ago, but the range calf that they could lay in then for $ 1 6 will cost double that or more now, and they can produce him as cheaply as they can buy him, use up the waste and have the manure, as well as a calf to feed out which never has had to lose a pound in a long shipment. "Our correspondence shows a wide interest in every state east of the Missouri River in she-stuff for breeding purposes. While the process may be slow, and it may need all sorts of Governmental publicity in various helpful forms, it seems inevitable to me that in the study of after-the-war economy, the middle and eastern states will find the breeding of beef cattle an imperative necessity — one in which the minimum of labor required will have a direct bearing, and a branch of fanning with a sure profit in it." Eastern farmers are fast coming to see the opportunities created by these new conditions, and many feeders of steers are beginning to follow the lead of such men as N. E. Franklin and others who on high-priced corn belt lands find it profitable to maintain breeding herds of beef cattle to produce the calf they themselves finish for market. The lower priced lands of the East which provide such excellent grazing and are so well adapted for the growing of corn for ensilage, can be used to good ad- vantage for this purpose. A breeding herd of beef cows can be maintained on pastures during the summer and ensilage and clover or alfalfa hay in the winter without grain. The best results in most cases can be secured in turning the steers off as yearlings at from 1 ,000 lbs. to 1 ,200 lbs. in weight. In an experiment just con- cluded on a rough New York State farm, Aberdeen- Angus steers at 1 8 months averaged 1,100 lbs. each and sold at the farm for $150 each. In this system it is advisable to feed the calves some grain before weaning in order to prevent loss of flesh when taken from the cow. Where there is a lack of experience in this more intensive plan or where there is an abundance of grazing and a limited supply of grain, it is better to carry the steers over another year, feeding ensilage and clover hay with a small amount of cotton seed meal in the winter. This, with good grass in the summer, will require grain feeding only at the finish. In two experiments made by the Experiment Station of the College of Agri- culture University of Missouri, concluded in 1917 for the purpose of securing data concerning the possibility of fattening cattle by the extensive use of corn silage without the use of additional corn, it was found that a higher profit was obtained wriere the ration consisted entirely of corn silage, linseed oil meal (or cotton seed meal) and alfalfa hay. oeventy head of two year old steers were used in the experiment which ex- tended over a period of 1 30 days. In the first trial the average daily ration was 37 lbs. of corn silage, 5 lbs. linseed oil meal, and 4 lbs. alfalfa hay, the average daily gain was 2.38 lbs. The practical advantage of the use of corn silage with cotton-seed meal in these days of high grain costs was also demonstrated in two experiments carried on by W. H. Tomhave, Professor of Animal Husbandry of the Pennsylvania State College. In the first experiment concluded in 1916, six lots of beef steers were used ; the largest profit was made where the ration consisted of corn silage and cottonseed meal; the average daily gain being also the highest, 2.07 lbs. In the second experiment concluded in 1917 the highest profit per head ($31.56) was made on a daily ration of 44.46 lbs. corn silage, 1.82 lbs. corn stover and 2.8 lbs. cottonseed meal; the average daily gain was 2.08 lbs. On a daily ration of 5 1 .4 lbs. corn silage and 2.8 lbs. cottonseed meal, the profit was $27.92 per head; the average daily gam was 2.08 lbs. The length of feed was 140 days. These experiments demonstrate the practical value of concentrates such as cottonseed meal and linseed oil meal with the liberal use of corn silage which can be so successfully produced on our Eastern farms. In order to secure satisfactory results in modern beef production, it is neces- sary to use breeding stock of beef type and follow proper methods of management and feeding. It is a waste to attempt to make beef by putting high priced feed into scrawny scrub stock. A breed must be used that v^ll most economically turn the feed into beef. Each beef breed has its staunch adherents and all have good qualities which have been demonstrated. The Aberdeen-Angus have been chosen by me because in my opinion they possess the qualities I desire in a beef beast. It is folly, however, to decry other breeds or overlook their many merits which cannot be denied. Rational breed rivalry is helpful. Petty breed jealousies and untrue state- ments of other breeds are harmful to all. There is a dearth of meat animals in the East — a great need for more of all the beef breeds. We believe an opportunity for profit lies open for many Eastern farmers to produce the beef we consume here. The united efforts of all the beef breed asso- ciations and adherents will for many years be required to fill the gap in the shortage of beef cattle here. When the needs and opportunities are more fully seen, there 7 will be a hunger for stock of the beef breeds that will tax the full resources of all the breeds to satisfy. The establishment of herds of beef cattle and the feeding of steers will greatly increase the fertility of the soil, raise the average grain yield per acre and stimulate our Eastern agriculture in all its branches. ABERDEEN-ANGUS STEtRS The 1917 Grand Champion carlot over all breeds at the International Live Stock Elx- position, Chicago, fed by E. P. Hall, Mechaniciburg, 111. Sold at the world's record price of 42.50 a hundredweight. Not only did Mr, Hall have the Grand Champion carlot at the 1917 International, but the Reserve Grand Champion carlots and the reserve to the Grand Champion car lots were both fed and shown by him. He showed the three best loads of finished steers at the world's greatest show, the three loads winning $2150.00 in prize money. Aberdeen-Angus for Baby Beef (Supremacy of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle) By N. £. FranKlin Our herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle is maintained strictly on a commercial basis. We keep it to produce yearling beef, an industry we have found profitable. Most of our cows are eligible to registry, but as we are not in the pedigree cattle busmess, records are of no particular value. "What we aim at is producing the biggest yearling at 14 to 16 months of age. If any other breed excelled the Aberdeen-Angus in this performance it would have a place in our system. We have neither prejudice nor sentiment. It is a manuiacturing proposition. Experience, extending over many years, has convinced us that for baby beef purposes on cornbelt land the Aberdeen- Angus is without a peer. Our land is located in the northern part of McLean county and is among the highest price areas in the country. To get maximum results we must not only have good cattle, but the best. Overhead charges are heavy and production cost must be figured closely. We have found that Aberdeen-Angus cows are good mothers and the calves are easily kept in condition after weaning. I do not fear successful contradiction when I assert that, under conditions existing in central Illinois, Aberdeen-Angus cattle are the best for the beef maker's purpose and the real test is that of the block. It has been contended that keeping a cow on these Illinois corn lands for the calf she raises is economically impossible. I do not know whether it can be done with other breeds or not, but our Aberdeen-Angus herd is a dividend payer, otherwise it would be dispersed. Beef making is a profitable part of our business. It enables us to maintain an all-the-year-round farm organization and keep our land in a high state of fertility. I do not believe that raising inferior calves would let the breeder out whole, but our cattle are equal to the task. Naturally our Aberdeen- Angus yearlings top the Chicago market. We must make that kind of cattle to stay in the business. This is where the "blacks" excel, market observation having convinced me that buyers invariably give them prefer- ence and getting over the scales early means 10 to 15c per cwt. to the feeder. Black cattle of good quality invariably outsell those of other breeds in similar condition. We produce our own calves for the reason that we could not buy that kind on the market or anywhere else. Breeders of black cattle are not letting the other fellow have them for finishing purposes, consequently at weaning time their value to us is considerably higher than market quotations. Of course care is necessary and to this the Aberdeen-Angus breed responds. They are essentially the farmers' cattle. If not marketed in the yearling stage they can be carried along profitably, making them well adapted for grazing areas of less value than our cornbelt land. Properly treated, the Aberdeen-Angus cow is good property and its progeny, simi- larly handled, will make more money than a calf of any other breed. We have given the matter a test and our breeding herd is all black. Some Aberdeen -Angus Characteristics by James R. Barclay, Secretary, Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, Banff, Scotland Animals of the Aberdeen-Angus breed possess many valuable characteristics. The mere fact that they are hornless is a guarantee against the serious losses that frequently occur in cases where horned cattle are kept. They possess in a marked degree the qualifications of fertility, vigor, longevity, and soundness of constitution. They are exceedingly easily and economically fed, and respond most generously to any extra feeding, while they have been found to adapt themselves to all different conditions to which they have been subjected in the various countries to which they have been introduced. From the very earliest days of their improvement, Aberdeen- Angus cattle have been reared specially for the production of meat, and to whatever country they have been exported they have retained their characteristic property of superior meat production. The fault of some breeds is that they put on thick layers of fat on the outside of the carcase. Such carcases, it is needless to say, are very wasteful to the butcher, and it is because carcases of Aberdeen-Angus animals give a very large yield of beautifully mixed meat of the primest marketable quality that the breed is recognized by experts in the meat trade to be the finest breed of butcher's cattle in the world. Both to breeders when sold as store cattle, and to feeders when sold as fat cattle, they give the best returns, as are shown by the official figures issued by the English Board of Agriculture, and by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland. They also pay the butchers better than any other breed of cattle, for they know from experience not only that the meat from Aberdeen-Angus cattle is of the best quality, but also that there is very little waste about the carcase. One of the most important factors in the spread of Aberdeen-Angus cattle has been the growing demand for beef from early matured cattle. The Aberdeen- Angus breed was the first of any breed to produce a champion for the London Smithiield show, the greatest of the British fat stock shows, at two years old, and it is the only pure breed that has produced a yearling champion at the Edinburgh Fat Stock Show, which is the principal show in Scotland. The breed also holds the record as regards carcase yield, namely 76l4 per cent, of dressed meat to live weight. Aberdeen-Angus cattle are accordingly the ideal breed for the breeder, the feeder, and the butcher. Bulls of the Aberdeen- Angus breed are extensively used for crossing with other breeds in the production of a grand type of commercial bullock. Even when njated with cows of a pronounced horned breed, Aberdeen-Angus sires show remarkable powers of transmitting the breed's hornless and color characteristics, it being calcu- lated that over 75 per cent, of the calves bred on such lines come black without horns. As regards milk production, cows of the breed will compare favorably with those of any beef breed, and the milk is exceptionally rich in butter fat. The cows are kindly, generous nurses, and in many herds in Scotland it is quite a common practice to allot two suckling calves to each cow. 10 When Breed Meets Breed ..^ world's greatest live stock show, the International Live Stock Exposition, held annually at Chicago, has given the following honors over all breeds to Aber- deen Angus cattle. Grand Championship over all breeds lo out of i6 times for single steer. Grand Championship over all breeds 13 out of 16 times for fat car load. Grand Championship over all breeds 15 out of 16 times for Fat Carcass. Single Stter, Grand Champion Year Breed 1900 Aberdeen-Angus 1901 Hereford 1902 Aberdeen-Angus 1903 Mixed Here'd-Angus 1904 Aberdeen- Ang'us 1905 Aberdeen-Angus 1906 Hereford 1907 Shorthorn 1908 Aberdeen-Angus 1909 Aberdeen-Angus 1910 Aberdeen-Angus 1911 Aberdeen-Angus 1912 Aberdeen-Angus 1913 Aberdeen-Angus 1916 Hereford-Shorthorn 1917 Shorthorn Fat Car Load Lot Grand CKampion Year Breed 1900 Aberdeen-Angus 1901 Hereford 1902 Aberdeen-Angus 1903 Hereford 1904 Aberdeen-Angus 1905 Aberdeen-Angus 1906 Aberdeen-Angus 1907 1908 1909 Shorthorn 1910 1911 1912 Aberdeen- Angus Aberdeen. Angus No Aberdeen- Angus Aberdeen- Angus Aberdeen- Angus 1913 Aberdeen-Angus 1916 Aberdeen-Angus 1917 Aberdeen-Angus show held 1914-1915. GLENCARNOCK VICTOR 2d 1913 International Live Stock Exposition, Chicago, Grand Champion Steer over all breeds The following Bulletins will be found helpful to Eastern beef producers, and will be sent on request to the addresses given beloy* (Give number of Bulletin.) "Raising Beef Cattle".... .Bulletin No. B8 | Agricultural Experiment Station, } "Steer Feeding Experiment".".'.". .' " " 145 / ^late College, Centre Co., Pa. "Winter Steer Feeding" Bulletin No. 143 ) „ , ,, . •, a • i ■ r- .. n .. _ .. .. 193 {, Purdue University, Agricultural Ex- " " " •' " 206 j periment Station, Lafayette, Ind. "Corn silage in Rations for ( Agricultural Experiment Station, Fattening Steers , .....Bulletin No. 150 j Columbia Mo. "The Prdduction of Baby Beef" Bulletin No. 61 1 ") r, r . ■ . i i "Cottonseed Meal for Feeding | Bureau of Ammal Industry, Beef Cattle" : Bulletin No. 655 / Washington. D. C. Evei(yone ^iriterfestedfi in any way iil beef cattle should read the Breeders •-Gazettei the leading Live Stock weekly. It is invaluable to the beginner. By mailing a request to Breeders Gazette, Chicago, Illinois, a sample copy will be sent. 1,1111 , r ill 'i|!j III I, 1 1 ,.'iriL- j'