16 
BULLETIN 870, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
COST PER POUND OF GAIN. 
The cost of producing a pound of gain is the main factor in deter- 
mining whether a steer is being produced at a profit or a loss. The 
cost of feeding a steer during the winter, plus the cost of pasture 
the following summer, is the total cost of feeding the steer for the 
year. By dividing this amount by the increase in weight of the 
steer, the cost of producing a pound of gain may be ascertained. 
From Table 8 it will be noted that the winter cost constitutes approxi- 
mately two-thirds of the total cost for the year. Practically all the 
gain, however, is made during the summer or pasture season. Hence 
the cost of wintering becomes the governing factor in determining 
the cost of a pound of gain. A summary of gains and costs is given 
in Table 9. 
Table 9. — Summary of gains and costs. 
Lots 
No. 
Ration. 
Year. 
Total 
gain, 
winter 
and 
summer. 
per 
steer. 
Cost 
per 
steer, 
winter. 
Cost 
per 
steer, 
sum- 
mer.* 
Total 
cost of 
feed 
and 
pasture 
per 
year 
per 
steer. 
Cost 
per 
pound 
yearly 
gain! 
1 
Corn silage, mixed hay, and wheat 
stravv . 
Average 
Corn silage , wheat straw, and cotton- 
seed meal. 
Average 
Mixed hav and wheat straw 
1914-15 
191.5-16 
1916-17 
1914-15 
191.5-16 
1916-17 
1917-18 
1914-15 
191.5-16 
1916-17 
1917-18 
Pounds. 
313 
344 
289 
$13.71 
13.74 
16.03 
S8.40 
8.35 
7.85 
$22.11 
22.09 
23.88 
30.070 
.064 
.083 
316 
14.49 
8.20 
22.69 
.072 
2 
328 
358 
310 
298 
14.47 
14.34 
14.60 
13.88 
8.40 
8.35 
7.85 
7.00 
22.87 
22.69 
22.45 
20.88 
.070 
.063 
.072 
.070 
324 
14.32 
7.90 
22.22 
.069 
3 
269 
303 
276 
249 
13.62 
15.03 
16.74 
17.30 
8.40 
8.35 
7.85 
7.00 
22.02 
23.38 
24.59 
24.30 
.082 
Average 
.077 
.089 
.097 
.274 
15.67 
7.90 
23.57 
.086 
1917-18 
1917-18 
4 
267 
14.76 
7.00 
21.76 
.081 
Corn silage, rye hay, and cottonseed 
meal. 
5 
292 
16.82 
7.00 
23.82 
.081 
1 The cost of summer feed is calculated at the same rate for each lot each year, charging the pasture at 5 
cents a day, as follows: 
168 davs, 1915 .- 88. 40 
167 davs, 1916 8. 35 
157 davs, 1917 7. 85 
140 days, 1918 7. 00 
The steers of Lots 2, which were fed corn silage, wheat straw, and 
cottonseed meal, made the greatest gains during the year at least cost 
for feed. Hence the cost of a pound of gain was lowest for these lots, 
the average for four years being 6.9 cents. 
Lots 1, fed corn silage, mixed hay, and wheat straw, put on gains 
at an average cost of 7.2 cents a pound. 
