* 
COST OF PKODUCING BEEF IN KANSAS 6 
ORIGIN AND DESTINATION OF CATTLE 
In the later sixties the movement of steers from Texas through this 
section began. At first they were kept moving toward Kansas 
shipping points; a few years later Texas cattle were started earlier in 
the spring and allowed to graze through the summer in the Kansas 
Flint Hills. Free range rapidly disappeared and fenced holdings 
covered the territory. Since the disappearance of the free range, 
the industry has remained on much the same basis, with cattle 
shipped in from Texas and other southern and western areas. A few 
herds are wintered in the section and then finished on grass during 
the. following season. 
The cattle involved in this study came principally from the South- 
west, a few being from Kansas. Texas ranges furnished four-fifths 
of the steers. The Panhandle section furnished more than all the 
rest of Texas, sending 13,538 of the cattle under study. Central 
Texas furnished 3,204 head, southern Texas 3,295 head, and the 
Texas coast 2,520 head, and 379 head came from northeastern Texas. 
Northern Oklahoma ranked next with 1,408 head, followed by 
western Kansas with 1,261 head. New Mexico with 612 head, eastern 
Kansas with 102 head, and Mexico with 120 head. 
The movement of cattle from Texas and other range areas into 
Kansas usually begins in March and April and is practically completed 
by the middle of May. The movement of cattle from Kansas 
pastures to market begins in July. The heaviest shipments of 
cattle during the three years of this study occurred during the latter 
half of August and the latter half of September. All of the cattle 
on leased pastures were on the way to market by the last of October. 
Most of the steers shipped out of the Flint Hills go to the Kansas 
City market. 
LOCATION AND METHOD OF STUDY 
The pastures upon which cost studies were made are located in and 
about Chase County, in the center of the Flint Hills section. (Fig. 2.) 
A field man stationed in the territory spent his entire time gathering 
figures upon cattle as they arrived, and these cattle were under his 
personal observation through the summer grazing season. He also 
gathered information upon any cattle that were held over and fed 
through the winter. Records of the weights of cattle when put on 
and taken off grass were obtained. In addition the acreage of pasture 
grazed was carefully measured, the quantities of feeds weighed, and 
information was obtained regarding the quantities and costs of man 
labor and horse work, equipment, and other materials used. 
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS DURING PERIOD OF STUDY 
The period of this study (1921 through 1923) was one of general 
agricultural depression. Agricultural prices had begun to fall during 
the later part of 1920 and reached the low point during the summer of 
1921. Beef -cattle prices began their decline with other farm prod- 
ucts but did not reach their low point until the late fall and winter 
of 1921, the low point coming at about the time most of the Kansas 
cattle had to move off grass. (Fig. 9.) The relatively low sale 
price of those cattle leaving the pastures in 1921 more than offset 
