YEARLINGS TURNED TO PASTURE 



21 



a small amount in going from 800 to 900 pounds. All groups but one 

 were ready for market within 25 months. 



YEARLINGS TURNED TO PASTURE 



Three of the groups, when yearlings, were divided into two lots of 

 equal weight; one was turned out to pasture while the other was re- 

 tained for nutrition investigation. The pasture steers of Group III 

 were not returned from pasture in time to get normal results from a 

 feeding-experiment, so some were sold while others were used in class- 

 demonstration work in butchering. But the pasture steers of Group 

 V were returned at the proper time and after a week's preliminary 

 feeding, to get a fair normal weight, were started on a feeding experi- 

 ment. They were kept in an open runway, but twice a day were con- 

 fined to stanchions while they were taking their morning and evening 

 rations. They soon learned their stalls, and as soon as the door was 

 opened each took his place. All feed was weighed out to each steer. 

 As soon as they had taken their rations they were given their freedom 

 in an open yard. Unfortunately, after they had reached a weight of 

 900 pounds other cattle of about the same size were occasionally put 

 in the runway awaiting the time when they were to be slaughtered in 

 butcher-demonstration work. The strangers admitted to the runway 

 caused some disturbance and some depression in the rate of gain. 



TABLE XVI 

 RECORD OF GROUP V, PASTURE LOT 



Table XVI shows that on October 16, 1911, the average weight of 

 the steers was 728 pounds, and by June 9, 1912, they weighed 1,203 

 pounds, making a gain of 475 pounds in 238 days, on 1,914 pounds of 

 grain, 1,222 of hay, and 5,570 of silage. In 77 days they gained 176.4 

 pounds, a daily gain of 2.52 pounds on a daily grain ration of 6.1 

 pounds. The daily average weight of grain fed during the whole feed- 



