Beef Producers of the West 43 
winter will sell them off as “twos.” The range-men, 
however, do not undertake a great amount of winter 
fattening. 
The age and weight of cattle marketed depend a great 
deal on whether they are marketed for feeders or for 
beef. The cattle marketed in the fall for winter-feed- 
ing purposes range in weight from 900 to 1100 pounds, 
with much the larger number coming between 950 and 
1050. The cattle that are fat enough for beef usually 
weigh between 1000 and 1300, with the larger portion 
between 1100 and 1200. The ages at which cattle be- 
come fat enough for beef and reach a weight of 1100 to 
1200 will depend on the system of feeding. The cattle 
marketed as feeders are commonly two-year-olds, al- 
though some calves and yearlings go to the Corn-Belt 
for feeding purposes. The cattle marketed for beef are 
sometimes twos but more commonly threes. Many 
statements are heard to-day to the effect that the day of 
the three-year-old is past and that the two-year-old can- 
not last long. Such statements should not be taken too 
literally as applied to the western country. There are 
enormous districts which have plenty of grass of a low 
grade, but only a limited amount of hay and no grain. 
Such a country cannot produce a fat yearling at a profit, 
but in order to utilize their feed and grass properly must 
keep the steer until he is two or three years old. The 
price of cattle also influences early maturity. When 
cattle are high, the producers can afford to feed them 
large amounts of hay and even grain, but when prices are 
low producers are compelled to use only feeds which 
have no other value, and this means the bunch-grass on 
the range. Under strictly open range conditions with 
only hay enough for wintering, steers at an age of about 
