EANGE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT DURING DROUGHT. 73 



excessive. So great an expense as $3.03 per head is not unwarranted 

 so long as losses are kept down and the calf crop is more nearly that 

 in average years. 



There was practically no feeding in 1919, when the breeding herd 

 was scattered over an adjoining open range where there was a reason- 

 able amount of winter forage. The 1 per cent loss which occurred 

 would largely have been avoided had the few poor cows been picked 

 up and placed on feed. 



The cows in the special herd were fed and given better care than 

 other stock on the reserve, the cost of feed amounting to $3.87 

 per head in 1918. Care was exercised not to overstock the range and 

 to provide reserve range for winter and spring use. These cows 

 were maintained in thrifty condition for breeding, and the calf crop 

 was materially increased. Maintaining them in this condition has 

 resulted in reducing the loss from starvation to less than one per 

 cent in four years. 



There is no doubt as to the justification of the additional care taken 

 and feeding which has been done in the main herd on the Jornada 

 Range Reserve. The saving in the reduction of losses alone, as com- 

 pared to losses on open range, will more than pay for the feed and 

 care, to say nothing of a slight increase in calf crop. The part which 

 even greater feeding of stock has played in increasing the calf 

 crop 10 to 20 calves per 100 cows and almost eliminating losses from 

 starvation in the special herd indicates that even greatly increased 

 feeding in the main herd would be warranted. The amount of feed- 

 ing and care that will be more than paid for in decrease of loss and 

 in increase of calf crop has not been exceeded even in the special 

 herd, and it is doubtful whether it has even been reached. 



Reserving range with an adequate water supply for use during 

 winter and spring may be considered the basis of management, and 

 handling stock to avoid losses from starvation with the other steps 

 as supplemental. Without such a supply of forage the cost of feed- 

 ing becomes excessive, and other measures have less value. With the 

 range forage available supplemental feeding is practical; but with- 

 out it feeding must include the use of roughage as well, and such 

 feed at a reasonable! price is extremely limited in the semidesert 

 country. 



The principal requirement of the range to be reserved for winter 

 ase is that it contain a suitable class of forage, such as grasses that 

 cure on the range and make good winter feed, and palatable browse, 

 with an adequate water supply. Black grama and other grama 

 grasses are the principal grasses valuable for this purpose in the 

 Southwest. Where other grasses are present they should be used 

 for summer range. 



