50 Western Live-stock Management 



FARMER BREEDERS 



Many of the more well-to-do and ambitious grain and 

 hay farmers in the irrigated valleys raise a few cattle in 

 connection with their farming operations. The cattle 

 will be run on the ranges or bunch-grass pastures during 

 the summer. Very few are pastured in midsummer on 

 the irrigated lands. In the fall they are brought in from 

 the ranges and allowed to clean up the stubble fields, which 

 in this semi-arid climate have a good feeding value. They 

 are also allowed to graze meadows after the hay is off. 

 In many of the hay districts the last crop of alfalfa or 

 clover and timothy may make excellent pasture, even 

 though not quite good enough to cut for hay. During 

 the winter the cattle are still allowed the run of the fields 

 and in addition have access to the straw stacks. In some 

 cases they have no feed other than the straw, but on the 

 larger number of ranches some hay is given during the 

 winter, particularly in the latter part of the winter and 

 early spring. As soon as the grass is good on the hills, 

 the cattle are again turned out and the farmer pays little 

 attention to them during the summer, devoting almost 

 his entire time to his farming operations. In some cases 

 the farmer may own range and have it fenced. In other 

 cases he may lease range, and in still others, several farmer 

 breeders may go together and hire someone to look after 

 the cattle out on the open range or Forest Reserve. While 

 there are very few large herds handled in this manner, 

 there are many small ones, so that the total number of 

 cattle raised by these breeders is considerable. The 

 quality of cattle raised in this way is above the average, 

 and many very fine steers are bred by this class of stock- 

 men. Where the summer grazing is not too expensive, 



