68 BULLETIN 1031, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
did not make much growth from the time of weaning until green : 
grass came the next spring, the small amount of cottonseed cake kept 
them in condition to respond readily when green feed came and pre- 
vented loss from weakness or starvation. 
Calves under 6 months of age were fed corn and cane ensiiage and 
cottonseed meal at the rate of 14 pounds of ensilage and three-fourths 
pound of meal per day. The extra feed was given the young 
calves to avoid the danger of stunting by leaving them on the range 
when weaned so young. The feeding of cottonseed cake only would 
not have been sufficient to prevent stunting. This feeding cost an 
average of $9.14 per head in the fall and winter of 1917-18. 
There is little question that feeding at the rate of $2.56 per head 
or even $4.71 is a good business investment, as was apparent in the 
sales of a part of the steer calves fed. In May, 1916, 100 head of long 
yearlings from the 350 steers out of the total of 700 heifers and steers 
weaned early in the previous winter and fed, were placed with the 
two-year-old steers and sold at regular two-year-old prices. At that 
time there was $10 difference between the prices of a yearling and a 
two-year-old steer. In the spring of 1917, about 40 head were sold in 
the same manner, and 100 head were sold at two-year-old prices in 
the fall of 1917 when 18 months old. However, a part of this is also 
to be attributed to improvement of grade. Heifer calves, fed, made 
similar gain, showing the advantage to the calf of feed and extra 
care. Even so great an expenditure as $9.14 per head in 1917-18 is 
not thought unwarranted when everything is considered. The 
calves fed were all heifers, and no sales were made, but they made 
normal gain and were up to the average weight for yearlings in June, 
1918, while calves that followed the cows on the range were 25 per 
cent underweight at that date. A great advantage is given a cow 
when she is allowed the benefit of being dry several months previous 
to and during the most critical part of the year, and no small part of 
the success in keeping down the losses on the Jornada Range Reserve 
since 1915 is attributed directly to early weaning of the calves. 
Supplemental feeding.—In any herd, no matter how much dry 
winter forage is available, there will always be at least a few un- 
thrifty cows that may be lost if left to shift for themselves on the 
range. There might also be times when reserve forage or other 
measures may be insufficient to meet the demands for keeping down 
losses. Under these circumstances the use of supplemental feeding, 
in so far as it is economical, will assist in keeping down loss. 
Feeding of cottonseed cake to poor cows.—When cows have become 
very poor and weak and the dry winter forage is too low in nutritive 
value to save them from starvation, a small amount of concentrated 
feed to supplement the range forage will make a better balanced 
