RANGE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT DURING DROUGHT. 67 
Water development.—Proper number and distribution of watering 
places plays an important part in keeping cattle in condition that 
will prevent losses. Naturally, where the distance between waters 
is great the feed near water is utilized first; then, later on, when the 
stock are poorest, they are compelled to travel great distances from 
water to feed, so that much time and energy are wasted. Losses on 
the outside range adjoining the reserve on the west, where watering 
places are 7 to 12 miles apart, were heavy in 1916, 1917, and 1918, 
largely on account of the weak stock having to travel so far from 
water to feed. As they grew weaker they were unable to travel out 
to where feed was good, and soon became so weak that they died. 
Having the watering places 5 miles or less apart will secure more 
even utilization of the range and weak stock will not have to travel 
so far to water. 
Early weaning and feeding of calves—Obviously, a cow will not 
do as well on the range when she is suckling a calf as when she has 
only herself to provide for. Weaning calves as soon as they are old 
enough, therefore, should be a decided advantage in maintaining 
cows in better condition on the range. 
The practice on the Jornada Range Reserve in the average year 
has been to wean the calves during early winter when they are from 
6 to 10 months of age. Plate X, figure 1, shows a number of calves 
on feed. In 1917, during the drought, all calves down to 4 months 
of age were weaned in October. When the calves were weaned the 
cows were turned back on the range, and fewer of them required 
feed or additional care than would otherwise have been necessary. 
Early weaning of calves, even down to 4 months of age, has been 
made possible by feeding. Ordinarily, calves are weaned at 6 to 
10 months of age. The earlier weaning has been limited to calves 
from a small percentage of cows, except in 1917. The number of 
calves fed, the amount and character of feed, and cost of feeding 
are given in Table 24. 
TABLE 24.—Numober of calves fed, character and amount of feed, and cost of 
feeding. 
Number Cost of Cost 
Year. of calves | Characterand amount offeed.; feed and per 
fed. feeding. head. 
=n |f37-2 tons cottonseed cake....| $1,722.10 = 
1916... -.--.- 2-22-22 eee eee eee eee e estes +700 \4.5tonsalfalfa............... ”"'72.50 \ $2. 56 
52.5 tonscottonseed cake....| 3,018. 01 . 
ADU7. = 2-2 eee eee cei - Sere ee estos se * 746 169.5 tonsensilage............ ” 495, 50 ae 
488 tonsenSilage..........-- 3, 466. 00 
BOISEE FR ES Tut 2 Ree APA AL eae sees 873 |448.9 tonscottonseed meal....| 2, 936. 00 9.14 
Valley pasturage..........-. |. 1).577. 00 
1 Includes half heifers and halfsteers. 
The feeding of cottonseed cake to older calves in 1916 and 1917 
was largely to prevent them from becoming stunted. Although they 
