12 



BULLETIN 870, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 







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summers. The average length of the total period for the 4 years 

 was 288 days, of which 130 days were in the winter or feeding period 

 and the remaining 158 in the summer or grass period. The heavy 

 black vertical line near the center of the chart marks the dividing 



line between the 

 wmter and summer 

 periods. 



Vertical distance 

 on the chart repre- 

 sents changes in live 

 weight of the steers. 

 The weights corre- 

 sponding to each of 

 the horizontal lines 

 are given along the 

 left side of the chart. 

 Some rather strik- 

 ing facts as to the 

 way steers on differ- 

 ent rations vary in 

 weight from period 

 to period during the 

 winter are brought 

 out. It will be noted 

 that in Lots 1 and 3 

 there was an actual 

 loss in weight each 

 year during the first 

 period of the winter. 

 By the end of the 

 second period this 

 tendency to lose in 

 weight had been 

 overcome, and in 

 most of the trials a slight gain was made during this period. While 

 the average of Lot 2 showed a small gain during the first period, it 

 is evident that the rapidity of gain was greatly increased during 

 the second period. 



With one or two exceptions there was a marked loss in weight of 

 steers in all lots during the last 18 days of the winter period. This 

 falling off in weight can, no doubt, be attributed to the fact that the 

 coming of the pasture season caused the steers to eat less dry feed and 

 possibly to make less efficient use of what they did eat. Cattle fed on 

 dry feed during the winter become restless with the appearance of 

 grass and lose their appetites for the dry and less appetizing feeds 

 which they have been receiving. 



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Fig. 8.— Diagram showing average variations in weights of 3 lots of 

 steers during summer and winter feeding periods. 



