20 Growing Feeder Steers in Western Nebraska- 



to this lot than to Lots 4 and 5, and also that alfalfa alone does 

 not have as beneficial effect on steers reaching, maturity as on 

 younger steers. During each winter, cane gave greater gains 

 or less loss than prairie hay. A combination of cane and alfalfa 

 gave larger gains during the first and second winters than 

 alfalfa and prairie hay. but during the third winter the opposite 

 was true. On the average a ration of prairie hay and cane 

 gave a slightly greater gain than either fed alone, but the ad- 

 vantage of the combination was very slight. 



The average daily gain per steer for all lots combined was, 

 during the first winter .04 lb., the second winter .50 Ib. and the 

 third winter .10 lb. The grain fed during the first winter would 

 account for the gain being greater than during the second 

 winter. The low gain of the third winter is partially due to 

 the running of the lots together during the latter part of the 

 period and the consequent shrinkage on the fleshier lots. How- 

 ever, the gains during period 5 A in the winter was only .3 lb. 

 per steer per day. When all factors are taken into account, the 

 daily gains are less during the third winter than during the 

 second or first. 



RELATION OK STALMKIi AND \YIXTKTl GAIN'S. 



When we turn to a study of the gains made during the 

 summer, we find that the lots which made the faster gains dur- 

 ing the winter made the slower gains during the summer fol- 

 lowing. The steers that went lo pasture in good condition did 

 not gain as much during the summer as those which went to 

 pasture thin in flesh. The lots wintered on alfalfa or part- 

 alfalfa were no doubt fleshier in the spring than the sicers of 

 the average herd, and those not fed alfalfa were not as thin 

 in flesh as the thin cattle of the average herd. None of the 

 steers were 1 so thin as to be weak. It is probable that during the 

 first few weeks on pasture the fleshier steers lost more in 

 weight than the thinner steers. Period r>B indicates this. The 



