PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1013 



ing animals result from being handled in this way 

 than if they are allowed to become stunted in any 

 degree because of lack of proper nourishment during 

 the developing period. 



"After the breeding cows are two years old, with 

 an occasional individual exception for a short time, 

 they get no grain ration whatever, either summer 

 or winter. They have the bluestem grass pasture 

 for summer feeding and are wintered mainly on 

 sorghum and alfalfa. Most of this feed is run 

 through the cutter, and lately the sorghum is fed 

 in the form of silage. Except those near calving and 

 those having young calves, the cows are not put in 

 barns at all, but for protection run to sheds open to 

 the south during the winter months. Whether in 

 pastures in summer or in lots in winter, I like to 

 keep the aged cows, two-year-old heifers, yearling 

 heifers and heifer calves separate. 



' ' The bull calves are fed and handled in much the 

 same way as the heifers, except that they are not 

 allowed to run with the dams in pastures beyond 

 the time they are around four to five months old. 

 After that and until they are weaned they are kept 

 in lots near the barn, the cows being brought in and 

 the calves suckled twice a day. After being weaned 

 they are not fed in open lots as are the heifers but 

 are tied up and fed, each one by himself. We have 

 what we call a 'bull bam' for these weanlings where 

 they remain until sold. Around this barn are sev- 

 eral lots in which these calves are kept, a few in 

 each lot. They are in these open lots practically 

 all the time, except when brought in for their feed 

 of grain. I find that they do better when I feed 

 them separately in this way than when I attempt to 

 feed a number of them together. In the open pens 

 they get the benefit of fresh air, sunshine and exer- 

 cise. 



