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'BULLETIN 7*4,"u.' s*. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



days on this ration about 85 per cent of the stock were put back on 

 the range and fed 1 pounds per day of cottonseed cake alone to sup- 

 plement the dry grass and scattered browse forage available. 



The number of cattle on feed varied from day to day. For the 

 first 100 days the daily average was 340 head, varying from 500 head 

 to 200 head for short periods following the return of stock from the 

 feed lot to the range. More than 1,000 different individuals were in 

 the feed lots between January 20 and June 1. 



During the first 100 days approximately 306 tons of the chopped 

 soapweed were fed, and feeding was continued at approximately the 

 same rate up to June 1. The average period that individual animals 

 were fed on soapweed and cottonseed meal during the first 100 days 

 of feeding was 35 days. Some animals were fed during the entire 

 period and others less than two weeks. After about 35 days of feed- 

 ing on the soapweed and cottonseed meal the majority of the animals 

 gained in strength and flesh sufficiently to warrant their being put 

 back on pasture with a daily feeding of 1J pounds of cottonseed cake. 



No weights of cattle were taken to determine accurately the gains 

 made as a result of the feeding. Under practical range conditions in 

 time of drought, however, the measure of success in feeding is the 

 percentage of cattle carried over the critical period without excessive 

 cost and without the sacrifice of the breeding herd or a great reduc- 

 tion in the calf crop. It is estimated that without the soapweed 

 feeding probably 50 per cent of the 1,000 head fed during approxi- 

 mately 150 days from January to June would have been lost. It 

 might have been possible to save the other 50 per cent by a ration of 

 cottonseed cake to supplement the scant range forage. As a result of 

 the feeding the losses due to starvation from approximately 2,500 

 head were approximately 1 per cent for the 150-day period, and the 

 breeding stock are in condition to produce a reasonably good calf 

 crop provided the drought is broken by summer rains. Furthermore, 

 the breeding stock on the reserve have been maintained at approxi- 

 mately the number the area will carry normally, and the efforts of 

 years in building up the breeding herd have not been lost. Conse- 

 quently, normal production of live stock will begin at once after the 

 drought is broken. 



On near-by ranges without provision for reserving pasturage or for 

 extensive feeding, losses have been from 10 to 20 per cent during the 

 first 150 days of 1918. In some cases where the range was over- 

 stocked the breeding stock have been sacrificed and material loss has 

 been suffered both in the death of animals and in low market prices 

 due to the poor condition of the stock. 



The cost of feeding, as well as the success achieved in preventing 

 losses, is influenced greatly by the ability of the riders who gather 

 the animals. Careful riders accustomed to handling poor cattle sort 



