CARRYING CATTLE THROUGH THE WINTER 223 



the feeding that should be pursued during the winter. 



It may be profitable to winter cattle cheaply under 

 range conditions or semi-range. This follows from the 

 fact that, on the open range, where pastures are obtained 

 for nothing, it may be cheaper to allow cattle that are 

 being wintered to lose some in flesh while they are 

 being wintered than to go to the expense of providing 

 food for them. But to make no provision for them, 

 where the hazard of serious privation is present, is, in a 

 sense, criminal. The story of the sufferings and loss of 

 cattle from privation on the western ranges, could it be 

 told, would be one of the darkest and most pathetic in 

 all American historj^. Under semi-range conditions, 

 more food is wanted than under range conditions, but 

 even under these it may sometimes be more profitable 

 to feed in a way that will not fully maintain flesh than 

 to incur the outlay in getting more food for winter. The 

 same may be true on extensive farms where the animals 

 are grown chiefly on grass pastures, and on native hay 

 cut from native meadows. 



Cheap wintering is greatly influenced by the out- 

 lay necessary for shelter. The cost of such outlay may 

 render it a matter of economy to seek production to a 

 greater extent in summer than in winter. Such is par- 

 ticularly true of cows in cheese-producing districts where 

 cold winters prevail. Under these conditions it may be 

 better to have the cows idle in winter rather than pro- 

 ducing milk because of the less cost of the shelter that 

 may be necessary to carry them through the winter. 



Cattle that may be wintered cheaply. — The classes 

 of cattle that may be legitimately carried through the 

 winter cheaply are: (i) Mature cows in calf and yet 

 dry; (2) mature cows carried over for being finished 

 on grass; and (3) steers or heifers grown chiefly on 

 extensive pastures to be sent from these to the sham- 

 bles, or to be finished for the block where the conditions 

 are more intensive. Mature cows in calf and yet not in 



