FATTENIliTG OF STEERS I^ KOKTH CAROLINA. 



17 



a result strongly favors the use of winter pastures. The results with 

 the lots fed during the winter on harvested feeds is slightly in favor 

 of the use of silage. 



PROFIT PER STEER. 



Like most other productive operations, the profit or loss in dollars 

 and cents is the usual index of the success or failure with cattle 

 feeding. The average cattleman must make an average profit over a 

 period of years to enable him to stay in the business. Unusual 

 profits are offset by corresponding losses. The successful cattleman 

 usually stays with the game year by year, with due regard for 

 general economic conditions. In times of falling prices he must 

 curtail his operations; in times of rising prices he must not be a 

 plunger, for he may be caught by a large and sudden drop in prices. 

 The large profits shown in Table 8 are due to the fact that cattle 

 prices were going up throughout the period in which the work was 

 done. 



On an average for the three years, the steers which were bought 

 as stockers for $7,833 per hundredweight sold as feeders 266 dnjs 

 later for S10.167, which is practically 30 per cent more than they 

 cost per hundredweight. With the exception of the winter-grazed 

 steers, the gain in weight cost practically the same per pound as the 

 original weight. As is customary in cattle feedmg, the labor and 

 other incidental expenses are considered as balancing the manure 

 produced by the steers. 



Table 8. — Total winter and summer costs and profit per steer. 



Lot 

 No. 



Winter ration. 



Year. 



Initial 



value 



per 



steer. 



Cost to 



^vinte^ 



per 



steer. 



Cost per 

 steer 

 in the 

 spring. 



Cost per 

 steer 

 in the 

 fall.i 



Net 

 sale 



price 

 per 



steer.2 



Profit 



per 

 steer. 



1 



Mixed hay 



191t>-17 

 1917-18 

 I91>S-19 



S62.20 

 61.10 

 60.16 



$15. 54 

 14.28 

 15.96 



S77. 74 

 75.38 

 76.12 



885.24 



82.88 

 83.62 



S108.89 

 109.50 

 107. 36 



S23 65 





Average 



26.62 

 23.74 





61.19 



15.27 



76. 46 



83.96 



108. 59 



24 63 





(^orn silage 







? 



1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 



60.55 

 58.51 

 61.26 



18. 32 

 13.40 

 14.02 



78. 87 

 71.91 

 75.28 



86. 37 

 79.41 



82.78 



108. 89 

 107. 77 

 107. 77 



22 52 





Average 



2S.36 

 24.99 







60.11 



15.25 



75.35 



82. 85 



108. 14 



25.29 





Corn silage, stover, and straw 



A verage 





3 



1916-17 

 1917-lS 

 1918-19 



61.65 

 59.14 

 60.08 



12.89 

 11.97 

 12.06 



74.54 

 71.11 

 72.14 



82. 04 

 78. 61 

 79.64 



104. 01 

 105. 33 

 104.82 



21.97 

 26.72 

 25.18 







60.21 



12.27 



72.48 



79. 98 



104. 76 



24 78 





Winter pasture 



1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 





4 



61.18 

 57.73 

 60.32 



8.65 

 8.45 

 8.06 



69.83 

 66.18 

 68.38 



77.33 

 73. 68 

 75.88 



111.53 

 105. 83 

 108. 48 



34 20 





Average 



32.15 

 32.60 





59.23 



8.38 



67.61 



75.11 



107.82 



32 71 





Stovor, ha V, and straw 



1918-19 





g 



59.30 



10.08 



69.38 



76.88 



105. 73 



28 85 









' -V pasture charge of S1.50 per month of 28 days for 5 months, making a total of $7.50, is added to the 



spring cost. 

 2 The average actual sale price at the end of tlio summer period was S10.1i'«7 per hundredweight. 



