Growing Feeder Steers in Western Nebraska 53 



the production of the forage, they give a profit. On the farm 

 where there is more forage than would otherwise be used and 

 where it cannot readily be marketed, if the steer will consume 

 it and give a fair return for it he is giving a profit. 



In the matter of net profit or loss there are many factors 

 entering in to obscure the final result. These steers are charged 

 market value for all they consumed. They required some at- 

 tention, but they left on the farm a large quantity of manure. 

 If the value of this were known, we might find that the steers 

 gave a profit in the end. 



It is difficult to determine which ration gave the most profit- 

 able results. The final result would indicate that cane gave 

 the least loss and alfalfa the most. Even taking the final profit 

 or loss as the determining factor, this would indicate only that 

 the relative values assigned to the three kinds of forage were 

 not correct. Alfalfa or combinations of alfalfa and other forage 

 gave more pounds gain during the winter and during the entire 

 time than a ration containing no alfalfa. This shows that alfalfa 

 is a better forage for growing steers than prairie hay or cane. 

 But for wintering steers that are to be marketed off grass in the 

 fall, alfalfa is not worth as much more than prairie hay and 

 cane as is charged in this bulletin when fed under these con- 

 ditions. 



However, there arises the question of the relative amount of 

 pasture eaten by the various lots during the summer. The steer 

 wintered on alfalfa did not gain nearly so much during the 

 summer as the steer wintered without alfalfa. It may be that 

 he did not eat as much grass. In this case we have charged 

 him with more than his part of the cost of pasture. 



SUMMARY. 



The steers that went on grass in the spring thin in flesh in- 

 creased in weight faster during the summer than the steers that 

 went on grass in good flesh. 



