ed, when, of course, all of the food given is wasted when con- 

 sidered from the standpoint of gains made. Reducing the 

 feed even below the point of maintenance, so that the ani- 

 mals actually lose in weight, as is often done in unapproved 

 farm practice, the deficit to be met is not only the total 

 cost of the feed used, but the value of the loss in weight as 

 well. 



All of this means that the use to which a steer is to be 

 put the following summer, whether to be grazed or full fed, 

 will influence in a large measure the way in which he can be 

 most profitably wintered. If to be grazed alone, there is a 

 very definite limit to the amount^of grain that can be fed 

 without seriously affecting the capacity of the animal to make 

 profitable use of the pasture the following summer. Or, to 

 state it differently, there is a very definite limit in the amount 

 of fat that it will be profitable to put on a steer in winter that 

 is to be grazed the following summer. 



On the other hand, as a general proposition, the smaller 

 the gains, the more costly they are, and, within certain limits, 

 the more expensive the wintering operation becomes, or the 

 larger the deficit from wintering. 



THE AGE AFFECTS THE WAY IN WHICH 

 CATTLE SHOULD BE WINTERED 



In general, the age of the animal will affect materially 

 the kind, quality and amount of feed that may be profitably 

 used in wintering. In other words, the age will determine 

 largely whether they are to be fed liberally on palatable and 

 nutritious feeds, or to be roughed through on coarse fodders 

 of the cheapest sort. Young cattle will require the former 

 class of feeds in more liberal quantities, while the older cat- 

 tle will be able to utilize to advantage the poorer and coarser 

 grades. This is principally true because it is more important 

 to keep the animals gaining steadily at the age of 6 to 1 8 

 months than later. Checking the rate of gain after 24 months 

 of age, when the rate of growth has naturally declined and 

 when the tendency of the animal to lay on fat begins to as- 

 sert itself, will make much less difference than if it be check- 

 ed in the earlier stages when the tendency to grow and not 

 to fatten is much more marked. 



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