Farm Animals Horses Cows Sheep Swine Goats Poultry Etc

and the breeding which has been done to bring about an earlier maturity of beef cattle. These improvements in the methods of beef production have been made necessary on account of the higher prices of land, of labor, and of feeding stuffs. In fact, at present the feeding of beef cattle for market has become a special line of work which requires a high grade of skill and thorough understanding of the feeding values of different materials used in the production of beef, as well as an appreciation of the requirements of animal nutrition, and shrewd business ability. Without these prerequisites, the feeder is doomed to receive very small returns for his labor or simply starts on the road to bankruptcy. The market requirements for beef at present are much higher than in former years. It is necessary therefore, in order to receive prices which remunerate the feeder for his time and feeds, to produce in his feeding a herd of cattle as nearly uniform as possible in appearance and quality and with a high market finish and symmetrical development, particularly in those parts which yield highpriced cuts, in which the profits lie for the butcher. During the early days of the cattle industry in this country steers were marketed at the age of five or six years, fully matured and only in fair condition as far as the quality of the meat was concerned. These animals might be of larger form and in many cases the actual weight more than that of the average beef animal brought to ma...