16 



BULLETIN 954, U, S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



As Table 6 shows, the mixed hay and the silage-fed steers cost the 

 same to winter; while the silage, stover, and straw-fed cattle cost 

 $3 per head less, and the winter-grazed steers cost only 75 cents 

 more than half as much as the hay and silage-fed steers. The spring 

 cost per hundredweight was practically the same for the barn- 

 wintered steers and $1 less for the winter-grazed steers. 



COST PER POUND OF GAIN. 



The cost of producing a pound of gain is one of the main factors in 

 determining whether or not a steer returns a profit. Knowing the 

 original weight and cost, the gain in weight, and the cost of gain, 

 the amount for which the steer must sell to break even or return a 

 profit can be calculated. When the sum of the cost of wintering 

 and the cost of summer pasture is divided by the total gain in weight, 

 the cost of a pound of gain is obtained. Table 7 gives the cost per 

 pound of gain, and related factors. 



Table 7. — Summary of iveiglit gains and costs per pound of gain 



Lot 

 No. 



Ration. 



Year. 



Total 

 gain per 

 steer each 

 summer. 



Cost per 



pound of 



gain in 



summer.i 



Total 



cost of 



feed and 



pasture 



per year 



persteer.2 



■ Total 

 yearly 

 gain per 



steer. 



Cost per 



pound of 



yearly 



gain. 



1 





1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 



Pounds. 

 312 

 349 

 352 



$0,024 

 .021 

 .021 



$23. 04 

 21.78 

 23.46 



Pounds. 

 277 

 297 



288 



SO 083 







.073 

 .081 





337 



.022 



22.77 



287 



.079 







1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 





2 



350 

 316 

 342 



.021 

 .024 

 .022 



25.82 

 20.90 

 21.52 



298 

 313 



278 



087 







.067 

 .077 





336 



.022 



22.75 



296 



077 





Corn silage, stover, and straw 



1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 





3 



312 



353 

 350 



.024 

 .021 

 .021 



20.39 

 19.47 

 19.56 



236 

 281 

 264 



.086 

 .069 

 .074 





340 



.022 



19.77 



262 



076 







1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 





i 



334 

 314 

 365 



.022 

 .024 

 .021 



16.15 

 15.95 

 15.56 



316 

 304 

 297 



.051 

 .052 

 .052 







333 



.023 



15.88 



304 



052 





Stover, hay, and straw 



1918-19 





5 



347 



.022 



17.58 



283 



.062 



» The average charge for pasture for each year is SI. 50 per month,which makes a total of $7.50 per steer. 

 - The cost each summer is added to the winter cost as given in Table 6. 



In Table 7, as the charge for pasture during the summers is the 

 same for all the lots, and as the steers made approximately the same 

 gains during that time, there is no apparent variation in the cost per 

 pound of gain during that time. The cost per pound of gain for the 

 winter and summer periods combined is practically the same for the 

 steers that were wintered on harvested feeds, while the cost per pound 

 of gain for the winter-grazed steers is only two-thirds as much. Such 



