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, 
