FEEDING BEEF CATTLE 265 



Pasture for Steer Feeding. — The profit made in feeding steers 

 will depend largely on the kind and quality of the available pasture. 

 Steers make their cheapest gains during the summer on grass, but 

 grass-fed cattle do not bring the prices that those fed corn or other 

 concentrates command, and if they are to be sold on the large 

 markets they should receive grain in addition, especially later in the 

 season, when the pastures no longer furnish abundant feed. It is 

 important not to overstock the pastures, so that they will not be 

 eaten too closely to furnish ample feed for the steers. On an 

 average, one and one-half to two acres should be allowed per head 

 to secure sufficient feed supply throughout the season. When grain 

 is fed to cattle on pasture, the area of land for each steer may be 

 reduced to one or one and one-half acres. On irrigated alfalfa or 

 mixed pasture 2 steers may be allowed to the acre; while on poor 

 hill or range pastures, it will take 20 to 25 acres to support a steer. 



The gains made on pasture are also dependent on the method 

 of winter feeding practised. If the cattle have been wintered 

 largely on rough feeds and have been accustomed to depend on 

 roughage for nourishment, they will be better able to make satis- 

 factory gains on pasture alone, but whether, they should be marketed 

 as grass-fed must depend largely on the condition of the market. 

 The gains made by cattle on pasture will range from one and one- 

 half to two pounds a day. Waters reports 14 that successful cattle 

 men in Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa obtained the following gains 

 for the season of six months: From yearlings, 270 to 28'8 pounds; 

 for two-year-olds, 312 to 318 pounds. If a charge of 75 cents a 

 month be made for yearlings on pasture, their gains cost approxi- 

 mately $1.60 per hundredweight; charging $1 a month for the 

 season for the two-year-olds the gains they put on cost about 

 $1.90 per hundredweight. Gains made on winter feeding, on the 

 other hand, will cost at least $6 per hundredweight, and may be 

 double this amount ; the relative cheapness of pasture feeding when 

 good gains are made is apparent from these figures. 



Silage for Steers. — The number of cattle men who are feeding 

 silage to their stock has increased greatly during late years, and 

 in many sections silos are now as common on stock farms as they 

 have long been on the dairy farms. The rapid growth of silage 

 feeding on stock farms is conclusive evidence that silage is a good 

 feed for steers. It is the consensus of opinion among feeders that 

 it decreases the cost of beef production considerably, especially 

 where no legume hay or protein feeds are fed. Trials have also 

 shown that the addition of corn silage to an ordinary fattening 



"Missouri Circular 24. 



