COST OF PRODUCING BEEF IN" KANSAS 
11 
gained more than 2 pounds per day each year. No other class of 
straight grass cattle gained as much as 2 pounds daily in any season. 
The fat aged steers made the lowest daily gain in 1921, the thin 
2-year-old steers were lowest in 1922, and the half-fat yearlings showed 
the least daily gain in 1923. Thin 2-year-old steers ordinarily gain 
more rapidly than did those under study in 1922, as there were among 
them that year some steers of very low quality. Table 2. 
The pastures used by the older steers were farther away from the 
owner's or caretaker's house, and were put to little or no use after 
these steers were gone. This allowed the grass to recuperate some- 
what in the fall, since most of the aged steers went to market in July, 
August, or September. These pastures, not being grazed so long or 
so closely, were able to carry more steers the succeeding season than 
if the pasturing season had been long and the grass closely grazed. 
The young cattle were grazed nearer the farmstead and three to 
six weeks longer than the older cattle, thus keeping the pastures eaten 
down later in the fall. Often these pastures were used by cattle and 
horses during the fall and winter, which tended to reduce the stand of 
grass and retard the next season's growth. The fact that the young 
cattle used almost as many acres per head as the aged steers is partly 
accounted for by the condition of the pastures on which the young 
steers were grazed. 
Labor was used mainly for riding and fixing fences, salting, driving 
cattle to and from the loading station, and counting cattle. There 
were wide differences in the amounts of man labor and horse work 
used, but generally the younger cattle required the more labor, for the 
reason that these steers were in smaller herds and in smaller pastures. 
The older cattle, as a rule, were in larger herds and larger pastures and 
were farther away from the house of the caretaker, consequently 
did not use as much time per head. The size of the herd is the most 
important factor affecting the amount of labor required per head. 
Table 2. 
-Gain, pasture, and labor requirement of cattle grazed on pastures in 
Chase Counhj, Kans., in 1921, 1922, and 1923 
Class of steers by year 
Item 
Thin aged steers 
Half-fat aged 
steers 
Fat aged 
steers ' 
Thin 2-year- 
old steers 2 
1921 
1922 
1923 
1921 
1922 
1923 
1921 
1923 
1922 
1923 
4,268 
10 
427 
145 
1,132 
827 
305 
2.10 
4.58 
66.6 
1.50 
20.8 
20.6 
5,459 
15 
364 
144 
1,017 
723 
294 
2.04 
4.17 
70.5 
1.42 
24.6 
24.1 
7,032 
13 
541 
133 
1,029 
736 
293 
2.20 
4.49 
65.3 
L53 
21.6 
20.9 
879 
8 
110 
135 
1,115 
887 
228 
1.69 
4.82 
47.3 
2.11 
44.3 
32.1 
193 
2 
96 
150 
1,250 
1,046 
204 
1.36 
5.79 
35.2 
2.84 
68.4 
64.3 
562 
6 
94 
128 
1,019 
786 
233 
1.82 
4.15 
56. 1 
1.78 
30.6 
30.5 
541 
5 
108 
137 
1,280 
1,123 
157 
1.15 
4.92 
31.9 
3.13 
47.2 
48.3 
672 
7 
96 
115 
1,183 
1,016 
167 
1.45 
4.51 
37.0 
2.70 
42.1 
39.9 
301 
3 
100 
184 
846 
596 
250 
1.36 
4.22 
59.2 
1.69 
35.4 
41.6 
923 
5 
185 
Pasture record: 
132 
Out weight 3 pounds.. 
Initial weight do 
Gain per season do 
Gain per day do 
Acreage per head : .acres.. 
Gain in beef per acre pounds.. 
Acreage producing 100 pounds gain 
798 
566 
232 
1.76 
3.68 
63.0 
1.59 
Labor per month per 100 head: 
Man labor 
Horse work 
...hours.. 
....do.... 
22.2 
21.1 
1 None in 1922. 
2 None in 1921. 
3 The out weight is the total weight of the cattle on leaving the pastures whether sold or lost by death. 
This weight is given on a Kansas City basis (allowing for shrink on steers that did not leave Chase County). 
