36 Growing Feeder Steers in Western Nebraska 



Table 24 shows a loss during the first winter on each lot. 

 This loss is greater as the steer becomes older and as the winter 

 gain is less. The greatest loss during the first winter was with 

 the steers fed prairie hay and the least loss with those fed al- 

 falfa and cane. In order to have balanced their account the 

 steers fed prairie hay would have been obliged to sell for 58 

 cents more per 100 Ibs. than those fed alfalfa and cane, tho the 

 former were so much thinner than the latter that they would 

 have sold on the market for probably from 25 to 50 cents less 

 per 100 Ibs. The lots costing the most for wintering would have 

 settled their account more easily in the spring than the lots 

 costing the least during winter. The 50 cents more allowed as 

 the selling price in the spring above the selling price in the fall 

 was not enough to pay for the feed eaten and interest on the 

 money invested in the steer. When the price in the fall was 

 50 cents less than in the spring the steers often failed to pay 

 the summer expense. In Period 1, the price would have been 

 $1.17 with Lot 2, and 59 cents per 100 Ibs. more with Lot 5 in 

 the spring than in the preceding fall if the steers paid for only 

 the feed and interest. The difference in price would have been 

 much greater during the third winter. 



