UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
IWI BULLETIN No. 870 i 
Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry 
JOHN R. MOHLER, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
October 20, 1920 
EFFECT OF WINTER RATIONS ON PASTURE GAINS 
OF YEARLING STEERS. 1 
By E. W. Sheetf and R. H. Tuckwiller, Animal Husbandry Division. 2 
I. WINTER RATIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON PASTURE 
GAINS OF YEARLING STEERS. 
II. THE USE OF SILAGE AND THE COST OF RATIONS FOR 
WINTERING YEARLING STEERS. 
CONTENTS. 
Outline of the experimental work 1 
The region and the problems 2 
Ob j ects and plan of the work 3 
Kind of steers used 4 
Feeds used 4 
Character of pasture 6 
Method of feeding and handling the 
steers 7 
I. Winter rations and their influence on 
pasture gains of yearling steers 7 
Quantity of feed consumed 7 
Gains and losses during winter 8 
Gains during summer 10 
Page. 
I. "Winter rations, etc.— Continued. 
Gains and losses, winter and summer. . 11 
Graphic presentation of g^ins and 
losses 11 
Conclusions 13 
II. The use of silage and the co:t of rations 
for wintering yearling steers 14 
Prices of feeds used 14 
Cost per pound of gain 16 
Value of gains 17 
Value of silage in the rations 18 
General summary of costs and gains.. 19 
Conclusions.... 19 
OUTLINE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL WORK. 
The work reported in this bulletin is part of a series of beef-cattle 
experiments that have been in progress since December 22, 1914, 
carried on in cooperation between the Bureau of Animal Industry of 
the United States Department of Agriculture and the West Virginia 
Agricultural Experiment Station on the farm of David Tuckwiller, 
i A report of cooperative work by the Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agri- 
culture, and the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. 
a The authors acknowledge the services of W. F. Ward, formerly of the Animal Husbandry Division, 
who assisted in pl annin g this experiment, and of F. W. Farley, J. B. Huyett, and E. A. Tuckwiller, 
formerly of the Animal Husbandry Division, who assisted in carrying on the work. 
183544°— 20— Bull. 870 1 
