Watauga County 4-H'ers Prize-Winning Steer, 1930s

From an undated press release written by L.R. Harrill, State 4-H Club Leader, North Carolina 

Petted, pampered, and fed for a period of 267 days, a cross-bred Shorthorn steer owned, managed, and fed by Frank Mast, 11-year-old 4-H club member of Watauga County, gained a total of 576 pounds in a 258-day feeding period, making a daily gain of 2.232 pounds at a cost of 8.85 cents per pound gained for feed consumed. After winning second prize in the county show; first in grand champion at the Asheville Fat Stock Show; first in the lightweight class, and grand champion in the club and the open class at the North Carolina State Fair, or a total of $122.91 in prizes, he sold on the auction block for the record price of 53 cents per pound, bringing a total of $442.55, the highest price ever paid for a steer in North Carolina, making a total gross value of $565.42, at a total cost of $106.17, leaving a gross profit of $459.29.

A summary of Frank’s record shows that during the 258-day feeding period, the steer consumed $31.17 worth of cottonseed meal, corn, and a small amount of commercial feed. During the first 7 ½ months the calf was on milk with a nurse cow; $20 was charged for the milk consumed, $20 for other expenses, bringing the total expense to $106.17. Frank’s record further shows that his steer was a local bred animal, and was purchased for $30 at the age of 3 ½ months, at which time he weighed 250 pounds.
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For more information on L.R. Harrell, see Learn NC's information on his interesting career, beginning at http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/farmville-gng/6.0