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 sion, 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 ** that successful cattle 
men in Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa obtained the following gains 
for the season of six months: From yearlings, 270 to 288 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 ny fattening 
* Missouri Circular 24, 
