10 
BULLETIN 1394, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
percentage gains, the variation was from 33.1 per cent in 1924 to 
52.1 per cent in 1920. As has been stated elsewhere, the summer of 
1924 was very dry; the 1919 animals, which made an average gain 
of only 36.2 per* cent, were under observation only 95 days as against 
108 days for the 1920 group and 105 days as a general average for 
all the animals in the nine years. In addition all the 1919 animals 
were 3 or more years old and had an average initial weight of 781 
pounds. 
Table 11. — Minimum, maximum, and average gains 1916 to 1924 
Year 
Minimum gain 
Maximum gain 
Average gain 
1916 
Pounds 
196 
196 
273 
260 
241 
204 
176 
173 
160 
Per cent 
29.1 
26.5 
39.2 
32.9 
42.7 
25.5 
26.7 
29.3 
24.3 
Pounds 
334 
336 
312 
328 
381 
310 
329 
305 
305 
Per cent 
64 
70.8 
58.1 
41.4 
65.5 
53.9 
46.2 
51.6 
43.7 
Pounds 
271 
255 
294.5 
283 
303 
260 
244 
251 
212 
Per cent 
44 
1917 
41.3 
1918 
47 
1919 
36.2 
1920... 
52 1 
1921 ._ 
42 1 
1922 . 
1923 
41.3 
1924 
33. 1 
The cattle are roughly classified as yearlings, 2 years old, and 3 or 
more years old. This classification is not exact, but it may serve 
as a basis for arriving at some idea of the influence of age on growth 
under the prevailing conditions. In Table 12 such a division has 
been made and the yearly averages for each group in the different 
years is shown. In this table the averages in pounds and per cent 
are shown, together with the number of animals in each class. 
Table 12. — Gains according to age 
Yearlings 
2 
years old 
3 or more years old 
Year 
Ani- 
mals 
Average gain 
Ani- 
mals 
Average gain 
Ani- 
mals 
Average gain 
1916 
5 
2 
Pounds 
248.0 
229.0 
Per ct. 
43.0 
61.8 
3 
9 
Pounds 
307.0 
261.0 
Per ct. 
48.3 
38.8 
47.4 
1 
Pounds 
282 
Per ct. 
37.6 
1917 .. 
1918 
5 297.2 
1 
3 
281 
283 
45.0 
1919 
36.2 
1920 
5 
2 
9 
5 
294.0 
222.5 
242.7 
244.0 
52.8 
44.1 
39.9 
46.5 
3 
10 
11 
16 
12 
320.0 
269.1 
254.0 
252.0 
211.25 
51.3 
44.1 
39.3 
40.6 
34.8 
1921. .. 
1 
235 
25.5 
1922. 
1923 
1 
4 
264 
212 
33.5 
1924 
29.7 
Total 
28 
69 
11 
250.6 
45.8 
258.0 
40.9 
251 
33.5 
Considering all the animals in each class, the yearlings gained 
an average of 250.6 pounds, or 45.8 per cent; the 2-year-olds, 258 
pounds, or 40.9 per cent; and the older group gamed an average 
of 251 pounds, or 33.5 per cent. In other words, although the older 
animals gained about the same in pounds as the younger ones, the 
gain in per cent was considerably less. To put this in another way, 
two 500-pound animals made much more growth in a season than 
one 1,000-pound animal. 
