86 



Table 8. — Weights and Gains During the Winter 



Months. 



The Young Steers 



(Dec. 6, 1909— Mar. 31, 1910.) 



(116 days.) 



Lot 



Number 



of 



steers 



18 



17 



RATION 



Cottonseed meal ) }4 

 Cottonseed hulls ) ration 



Cottonseed meal ) }4 

 Cottonseed hulls 

 Johnson-grass hay ' ratio 



Average 



daily 



gain of 



each steer 



Pounds 



0.64 



0.59 



The Goiiiinon Steers. 



(Dec. 6, 1909— Apr. 23, 1910) 



(139 days.) 



X 



and 



43 



Range alone 

 Range alone 



565 



575 



10 



0.08 



The steers m Lots 4 and 5 made as good gains as was 

 desired. No effort was made to fatten them. During 

 the whole feeding period of 116 days each steer gained 

 74 and 68 pounds in Lots 4 and 5 respectively. They were 

 in an excellent condition when spring came. 



Each steer in the range lots (Lots X and Y combined) 

 gained 10 pounds during the whole winter. They too, 

 were in good condition when grass came in the spring. 

 When cattle are turned on the open range during the 

 winter they, as a rule, lose instead of gain in weight. In 

 some former work the cattle which had no feed during 

 the cold months except what they secured from the open 

 range, lost approximately 100 pounds each during the 

 winter time.* It is a very unusual occurence for 

 steers to make gain during the winter months when 

 handled and fed as were those in Lots X and Y. 

 *See Alabama Station Bulletin 151, or Bureau of Animal Indu.s- 

 try Bulletin 131. 



