TENURE AND USE OF ARID GRAZING LANDS. 31 



Animals of breeding age which do not breed are an incumbrance to 

 the business and should be disposed of at once. Moreover, gross 

 receipts depend upon quality as well as numbers of the salable ani- 

 mals. High class results, therefore, are dependent on the degree of 

 control over breeding. 



On an open range there is little possibility of obtaining effective 

 control over the breeding of cattle. The ultimate result of this con- 

 dition is a small percentage of calves per hundred cows of breeding 

 age. When the percentage of increase is small the range is carrying 

 more aninals, both cows and bulls, than are necessary to produce the 

 largest possible number of salable animals. If the percentage of 

 increase is 35 (the estimated average for New Mexico in 1918) the 

 range must carry about 4.5 mature animals for every one that is sold. 

 If the percentage of increase is raised to 70 the ratio is 2.7 to 1, as- 

 suming the common type of business of that region, and the ordinary 

 losses. On a controlled range it is not difficult to raise this percentage 

 by the adoption of three or four practices that are easily applied when 

 the pastures are fenced, but which are practically impossible other- 

 wise. The rules of these practices are: (1) Use small breeding pas- 

 tures; (2) wean the calves at six months, and keep them away from 

 the cows; (3) feed small quantities of concentrates to the breeding 

 animals of both sexes for a short time before and during the breeding 

 season, and (4) keep all steers out of the breeding pastures. By such 

 methods as these it is possible to control the time of dropping of calves 

 and so have a uniform bunch of yearlings to show the buyer when he 

 comes. Much better service can be obtained from valuable bulls 

 in this way, and a larger number of calves from each bull, thus reduc- 

 ing the number of breeding animals necessary and increasing the 

 possible output of salable animals. These practices result not only 

 in a larger number of salable animals but in a higher price for them 

 when sold. (See p. 38.) 



Increased expenses. — Another way in which the lack of individual 

 control reduces the net returns of the business is by compelling larger 

 expenses. Open range management of a cattle ranch requires more 

 men and saddle horses at work all the time than are necessary on a 

 fenced range of the same size. An increase in the saddle horses needed 

 makes necessary an increase in the stock horses (breeding mares) on 

 the ranch, with a consequently smaller number of cows. Such an 

 increase in men and saddle horses increases the payroll for labor and 

 the expense for food and feed. 



An open range necessitates the semiannual " round-up," which is 

 always expensive, not very effective, and frequently comes at an in- 

 convenient time. The round-up method brings a labor load for a 

 short time that is sometimes very hard to carry. Even under the 



