A large variety of succulent feeds, hay or dry roughage, grain and milling by-products are suited to the needs of cattle. Beef calves as a rule nurse their dams six months or more, while calves from dairy cows are taken from their dams in two or three days, and are grad ually changed from whole to skim milk, being fed the latter from three to four weeks of age up to eight months or so. Among the standard foods much in use for cattle in the United States besides pasturage are the following dry roughages: timothy, blue grass, red top, alfalfa, red clover, corn Fodder and stover. Of grains we have Indian corn and oats, with a wide variety of by-products from mills handling wheat, corn, barley, cotton and flax seeds. Sil age, from corn, is extensively used as a cattle feed, both in milk and beef production. In making up standard rations, dairy cows are fed approximately two pounds of dry roughage or one pound of this and three pounds of silage daily, for each 100 pounds of live weight, with enough concentrates (grain or by-products) to adjust the entire ration to the feeding stand ard. Experimental results have shown that it is good practice to feed dairy cows daily about one pound of grain for each three to four pounds of milk produced, cows producing rich milk, as Jerseys or Guernseys, requiring the lesser amount. Fattening steers may be given daily about two and one-half pounds of dry roughage (or the equivalent in silage) and con centrates for each 100 pounds of live weight, the amount of concentrate ranging from one to one and three-fourths pounds for each 100 pounds live weight, based on the degree of fattening.
Extensive losses occur from disease among cattle, of which the more common are tubercu losis, contagious abortion, black leg and Texas fever. Based on figures reported, we have an annual loss in this country from disease, expo sure, accident, etc., estimated at $177,750,000. The seven most important losses are as fol lows: Miscellaneous live stock diseases S41,416,000 Black leg 27,551,000 Insposureufficient or irregular feeding 27,196,000 Ex 21,686,000 Tuberculosis 19,197,000 Contagious abortion 16,353,000 Texas fever and cattle tick 10,487,000 ======.
Inquiry was addressed to numerous agents of the United States Department of Agricul ture as follows: °For every $100 worth of cattle in the county what would you consider the extent of yearly loss from all causes indi cated above?" replies to which gave an average of $7.11 for the entire United States. See ANIMALS, DOMESTICATED; DAIRY INDUSTRY; CATTLE, DISEASES OF; LIVE STOCK, FEEDING OF; STOCK BREEDING.
Henry, W. A., and Morri son, F. B.,
W.,