Sherman Clubbers
Turn to Beef Cattle
By LeROY C. WRIGHT
Moro, Oregon
The 4-H club program in a wheat
area presents a number of prob
lems. All counties in the wheat area
are made up for the most part of
large farms with considerable dis
tance between farm homes. Sher
man county is one of the best ex
amples of a county which is devoted
entirely to wheat in the Saate of Or
egon. This means that in Sherman
county there is produced very little
forage crops and those crops are in
the form of cereals rather than al
falfa. At the present time there is
less than 100 acres in alfalfa cut for
hay in the county. The farmers and
the farm families necessarily devote
almost their entire time to the pro
duction of wheat. It can readily be
seen that a project in 4-H club work
using wheat as the activity is more
or less out of the question. The pro
duction of wheat overshadows all
other agricultural pursuits to such
an extent that the livestock pro
gram for instance in Sherman coun
ty might be considered more or less
a hobby.
Livestock lends itself more readily
to 4-H club projects than any other
activity that one could mention, con
sequently the Sherman county 4-H
club program is devoted almost en
tirely to livestock. Huge wheat sur
plusses have directed the attention
of those conducting the club pro
gram in Sherman county towards
the market type of livestock in the
form of beef cattle, sheep and hogs.
Since forage crops are a problem in
this county much more attention has
been placed on the type of livestock
that does not place a large demand
upon forage for its production.
During 1933 or 1934 the feeding
of baby beeves by 4-H club mem
bers here began to gain in favor.
This project has undergone a steady
growth until for the year 1941 there
were 50 head of baby beeves fed by
4-H club members in Sherman coun
ty. Local 4-H club members, due to
lack of available calves locally, have
had to go out of the county to buy
them. Herefords, Angus and Short
horn calves have been fed locally
and have been popular in about the
order named. The 1941 project in
cluded 22 Herefords, 16 Angus and
12 Shorthorns. The local program
calls for the members to start their
calves on feed the first of December.
For grain the members are using
from 50 to 75 of the total ration
wheat and the remainder is made up
of barley and oats. This grain feed
is supplemented with a protein, usu
ally linseed oil meal. Basically the
club members attempt to use a grain
ration of two pounds per day for each
100 pounds of live weight. This
amount of grain of course will vary
from time to time depending upon
the calf. Some calves individually
will consume even more grain than
2 pounds per day, however the 2
pound per day gain obtained by the
since it is felt that most all baby
beeves will handle about that much
grain under box stall feeding con
ditions. Locally the program calls
for regularity in feeding and has
paid big dividends. The average
pound per day gan obtained by the
4-H club members in this county
starting with extremely young cal
ves has for 1941 been better than
2V2 pounds per day per calf. This
year an individual calf made a gain
of 4.1 pounds per day for 30 days.
This is an extreme case, however
this individual for the feeding per
iod, gained in' the neighborhood of
3 pounds per day.
Sherman county owns a trailer
scales which is used regularly once
a month to weigh each individual
calf which has proved to be one of
the most valuable assets in the mar
ket meat projects, not only for baby
beeves but for market lambs and
hogs. It centers the attention of the
individual club member on the goal
that he is striving for and that is
to produce a fat animal. Prior to
the securing of the trailer scales the
average club member only thought
of his calf as a Hereford, an Angus
or a Shorthorn, whichever the case
might be. It gives each of these club
members an opportunity to compare
the gains that he is able to secure
with those of his neighbor. There is
a considerable amount of competi
tion between the members in secur-
Heppner
!ACP Payments Up
For Land Conservation
By N. C. DONALDSON
Because the nation's wheat grow
ers have been asked to further re
duce their plantings from 62,000,000
to 55,000,000 acres in 1942, (Oregon
849,116 to 756,281) ACP payments for
compliance with the wheat allot
ment have been increased from 8
to 10y2 cents.
Growers who are seeding within
their farm acreage allotment should
also remember that to earn this
special allotment payment, they must
devote 20 of the farm's cropland to
approved soil conserving uses. These
uses, as listed in the 1942 Oregon
AAA Handbook and amended as of
November 8, are as follows:
1. Perennial grasses or perennial
legumes, including new seedings if
seeded alone or with a nurse crop
pastured or clipped green
2. Biennial legumes, including new
seedings if seeded alone, or with
nurse crop pastured or clipped green
3. Seeded cover crops for which
a good stand and good growth is
left on the land, or green manure
crops, provided at least 10 of the
cropland is devoted to uses listed in
items 1 and 2 (perennial grasses or
perennial and biennial legumes). ,
4. Sudan, or annual ryegrass, for
pasture.
5. Approved protected summerfal
low (trashy fallow), provided at
least 10 of cropland is devoted to
uses listed in items 1 and 2 (per
ennial grasses or perennial and bi
ennial legumes), or is cropland idle
as diversion since 1938 and on which
a good cover has been established.
6. Forest trees planted on cropland
since 1935.
7. Austrian winter peas or vetch
grown for seed.
8. Land qualifying under the AAA
weed control practice (No. 57), pro
vided it is adequately protected from
erosion.
SURPLUS WHEAT MAY BE
FED TO LIVESTOCK
Continued from First Page
show that 100 pounds of wheat and
200 pounds of hay will fatten an
average feeder lamb to a satisfac
tory condition in 100 days.
The question arises frequenty as
to whether or not Oregon producers
could utilize the surplus wheat pro
duced in the state through livestock
feeding. In answer to that question
it might be suggested that when
ever the price of wheat is the same
as the price of corn or barley, wheat I
can be used to advantage in the
fattening of livestock in the state.
An increase of hog production in
the state is suggested as a means of
utilizing the bulk of the surplus
wheat. This statement is made in
view of the fact that Oregon im
ports 50 of the pork consumed by
the people of the state. If all or a
part of the surplus wheat in Oregon
could be fed to hogs, it would assist
greatly in reducing the necessity of
importing pork products from the
Middle West.
The supply of feeder cattle and
ing the best gains and of course in
growing the best calf.
Sherman county's 4-H club motto
in the baby beef project is "Get the
calf fat and the prizes will take
care of themselves" This was
brought out to good advantage this
year in that out of the 34 calves
exhibited at the Pacific Interna
tional Livestock Show, 26 of them
placed in the money. For three years
out of the last five years Sherman
county's 4-H club baby beef exhibit
has rJaced first with their county
group. This would indicate that
wheat not only is a good crop to
grow in Sherman county but it also
is a good crop to feed to beef cattle.
The market lamb and market hog
m-oiect has not met with a great
deal of favor locally simply because
of the lack of legume hays for the
lambs and the lack of suitable green
feed in the form of pasture for hogs.
However the local club members
have placed high in their classes
where they exhibited in competition
with other boys and girls through
out the state in the market lamb
classes and likewise have placed
well in their market hog classes.
Three pens of twelve lambs each
are being fed by three different 4-H
club boys in Sherman county and
are to be on exhibit at the Eastern
Oregon Wheat League during its
annual meeting at Heppner this
coming month.
Gazette Times, Heppner,
4-H Members Find
Profit From Stock
By JOHN C. BURTNER
Four-H clubs have in the past 20
years or so played an important part
in the development of the state's
livestock industry. In almost every
county the youngsters led the way
in improving the quality of their
stock and in using scientific meth
ods of feeding and management. -Parents,
in many instances glad
to help their youngsters on what
they considered a safe pastime, found
themselves a few years later copying
on a larger scale the methods suc
cessfully used by their boy or girl
with a single calf, hog or a baby
beef.
Of lata years, of course, the vol
ume of livestock raised by the 4-H
cub members has become an im-
aiPortant enterprise in itself . Last year
for example, there were 2468 club
members who raised 6G24 different)
animals in their projects. These ani
mals were valued at just under a
quarter of a million dollars and re
turned a profit to the club mem
bers of around $63,000.
In the production of meat animals,
including beef, hogs, and lambs, the
usual thing is for club members to
start out with a few head of calves,
pigs, or lambs, and feed these out
for market. It is not unusual for
members in their six to 10 years of
club work to develop a sizable herd
or flock of their own in addition to
those they sell. Most of those who
enter the beef projects, however,
feed their animals out and sell them,
with fully three-fourths being sold
in the form of baby beeves.
When the production of meat ani
mals by 4-H club members reached
large proportions, of course sales
were set up to dispose of the animals
after they had been shown. The lar
gest such auction in the state is held
in connection with the Pacific In
ternational, although other auctions
are held at the state fair, and at
Klamath Falls, Medf ord, Lakeview
and Baker.
At the 4-H auction sale at the
recent Pacific International 495 head
of sheep, beef, and hogs were sold
at a total price of $32,614,,22. These
show animals nearly always sell for
a premium as indicated by the av
erage price per hundred paid this
fall. Sixty-five head of sheep sold
for the 4-H-ers averaged $17.67 a
hundred; 199 head of beef averaged
$14.42, and hogs averaged $11.55.
A hog feeding contest has been
sponsored among 4-H club members!
for the past 15 years by the Portland
Union Stockyards company. In this
contest each club member feeds out
at least four litter mates for market.
A marked improvement in quality,
finish, and weight of hogs has been
noticed on the market during this
15 years and the improvement ap
plies not only to the club members
themselves but to the dads and nei
ghbors as well. Approximately 100
club members a year take part in
this contest.
feeder lambs in the state does not
offer the entire solution to the wheat
surplus problem in view of the fact
that we do not produce a sufficient
number of this class of livestock to
be a factor of consequence in the
utilization of our surplus wheat. In
other words, if all the available feed
er lambs and feeder cattle were fat
tened on wheat, they would utilize
about 5 of this grain. Hence, hog
production might be the logical way
out.
Seed Grass Pool Successful
Albany. Linn county's first per
ennial grass seed pool has resulted
in 17,040 pounds of seed being col
lected and distributed according to
county agent F. C. Mullen. Under
taken to improve pastures in the
county, the pool aided producers to
dispose of their crops direct to far
mers needing pasture grade per
ennial seed. English rye grass led
the list with 12,000 pounds pur
chased. MORO. Two successful methods
of handling bulk wheat in farm stor
age have been reported in Sherman
county by L. C. Wright, county
agent. On the L. P. Haven and
Marion Powell ranches the grain
is driven into steel bins with blow
ers, and S. A. Hall has constructed
a farm elevator on a hillside which
he fills by gravity.
Oregon
Closely related to the meat and
( : 1 tViat nf the club
dllllllcil wuia ww
members who enter dairy projects.
This is one of the most popular proj -
ects in the state, with 1275 members
participating last year, who made a
total profit in excess of $32,000. The
dairy project is popular in all the
irrigated sections of eastern Ore
gon, as well as in western Oregon
and coast counties. A club member
j ordinarily starts with a heifer calf
which he grows and breeds. It is
not unusual for dairy club members
to own from six to 12 fine dairy fe
males by the time they end their
club work.
Oregon livestock breeders have
aided the club members by providing
them with good quality feeding or
breeding animals at reasonable pri
ces. Banks and credit associations
have also willingly financed club
members where necessary.
The lamb feeding contest being
Greetings! WHEAT LEAGUERS
Quick Service on
CLEANING
&
PRESSING
JOHN SKUZESKI
Welcome
E. 0.
GAMBLE STORES
Conley Lanham, Mgr.
Our Greetings
Come In the Form of
FIN FOOD
Plan to have your meals at the
Elkhorn where you are always
assured of good food.
ELKHORN RESTAURANT
Ed Chinn, Prop.
Thursday, November 27, 1941
featured at this meeting of the East
ern Oregon Wheat league is an out
growth of the emphasis that has
been placed recently on the feeding
, Df wheat to beef, hogs, and lambs,
, particularly in the eastern part of the
j state. The club members, as well as
aaurc -
peatedly that wheat can safely and
profitably be used as a livestock
feed when it is priced low enough
to warrant its use either with or
instead of other feed grain.
The sheep club members taking
part in this special contest are
among more than 500 such members
in the entire state. Last year 514
sheep club members raised 2657 ani
mals, which returned them a profit
of approximately $11,000.
Livestock has always been one of
the major agricultural industries of
the state and its position as such is
being strengthened by the work of
the 4-H club members in every
county.
your
To Heppner
W. L