_ INCREASED CATTLE PRODUCTION. 25 
The spring and summer of 1916 were more severe than the average 
and, although there was a good deal of dry grama grass available up 
to the time the rains came, it was advisable to feed considerable cake, 
mainly to breeding cows, weaned calves, and bulls. 
A total of 25,650 pounds of cake was fed to the special herd of 500 
breeding cows and 20 bulls. About 75 per cent of the herd were 
“caked” at one time or another. The cake cost approximately $40 
per ton, or a total of $534 at the feed yards on the Reserve.. As a 
result of this feeding not a single animal was lost from starvation, 
the calves were kept growing in spite of the fact that many of them 
were mothered by 2-year-old heifers, and the cows and bulls were 
kept in iair breeding condition. 
There is some question as to the advisability of feeding cake to 
calves weaned in the fail from the time of weaning until green grass 
comes. The advantages of such feeding are that it keeps the calves 
erowing, or in condition to make rapid growth when green feed 
comes; that it prevents loss from starvation; and that it makes it 
possible to take the calves from thin cows at an earlier age than is 
advisable where the calves must winter on dry range alone. These 
considerations are important, but it is difficult to measure them in 
dollars and cents for comparison with costs. Observations over 
several seasons, however, indicate that such feeding pays. 
During the fall and winter of 1915-16 about 700 head of weaned 
calves were fed on cake to supplement the range feed. The quantity 
of feed used and costs were as follows: 
37.2 tons cottonseed cake at $36 per ton at railroad.......-..--- $1, 361. 50 
Hauling cottonseed cake to Reserve from railroad at $3 per ton. 111. 60 
Peoples cilia en Spee bf Veen ere ee oo be 72. 50 
Hauling alfalfa hay to the Reserve........------.--.--------- 9. 00 
Labor and board for feeding, 6 months at $40 per month. . .---- 240. 00 
: 1, 794. 60 
Average cost per head for 700 head......-- DS Cn ak 2. 56 
The alfalfa hay was used in mixture with the cake until the calves 
learned to eat the cake alone. The average feed of cake was 1.8 
pounds. fs 
The value of keeping the calves growing is apparent in the sales of 
steers. From the 700 head caked, 100 head of long yearlings were 
cut out and placed with the 2-year-old steers for sale May 1, 1916. 
The steers were sold by the head, with the privilege of a 10 per cent 
cut. When the cut was made, 101 of the older steers were cut back 
and finally sold at $10 per head less than the sale price for the herd. 
Not one of the caked yearlings was included in the cut. The 2-year- 
olds cut back had not been caked as calves following weaning. The 
remainder of the steer calves fed during the winter of 1915-16 were 
