5 
COST OF BEEF PRODUCTION UNDER SEMI-RANGE CONDITIONS 
1 VARIOUS PARTS OF THE STATE. 
Per- Market pi ice of 
rs of centage , - A —-— -> Average price secured for 
i llness 
j cow 
of 
calves 
Alfalfa Native Barley 
hay in hay inner cwt 
feeders 
in the neighborhood 
--1 
Weight 
November 
A 
1 st 
ange 
secured 
stack 
stack 
Calves 
Yearlings 
Two’s 
Calves Yearlings 
T wo’s 
• • 
$ 5.00 
$10.00 
$1.10 
$18.00 
$25.00 
$40.00 
• • • • • • 
• • • • • • 
i yrs. 
80 
6.00 
9.00 
• • • 
22.00 
35 to 38 
45 to 55 
550 ... 
780 ... 
1000 
! yrs. 
80 
. .. 
4 to 6 
• • • 
20 to 22 
28 to 32 
42 to 50 
450 ... 
650 .. . 
900 
! yrs. 
75 
• • • 
5.00 
• • • 
20.00 
30.00 
40.00 
450 ... 
675 ... 
850 
| yrs. 
60 
10.00 
16.00 
1.40 
Seldom sold at 
these ages 
300-400 
400-600 
600-800 
* ) yrs. 
80 
• • • 
8.00 
1.50 
12 to 18 
15 to 20 
15 to 25 
200 ... 
300-500 
500-1000 
! yrs. 
• • • 
12.00 
• • • 
12.00 
20.00 ' 
28.00 
200-300 
400-600 
600-800 
1 yrs. 
60 
• • • 
8.00 
1.50 
20.00 
30.00 
42.50 
450 ... 
750 ... 
1000 
The weight of the calves, June 3d, was 632 pounds per head, 
which is good, as only 3% pounds of barley per head were fed. The 
average daily gain was 1.6 lbs., and the cost of 100 pounds gain was 
$3.85 with alfalfa hay @ $5 per ton and barley @ $1 per cwt. This 
encourages the liberal winter feeding of range calves. 
The usual winter feed for calves in a good range section is from 
November 15th or December‘1st to March 15th or April 1st, a period 
of four months, with a consumption of 20 pounds of hay per head per 
day, or 1tons in the four months. The consumption of hay with our 
calves was 10.47 lbs. per head per day, and in addition they ate 3.77 lbs. 
barley per day. 
The calves, now one year old, were run on the range during the 
summer of 1911 from June 3d to September 18th. This summer’s 
grazing season was even shorter than the last, as there was less pre¬ 
cipitation than in 1910, and grass suffered more in proportion because 
of its being the second dry year. The disastrous result in the growth 
of the yearlings is seen in their gain as shown by the following table. 
Twenty-six pounds gain in three and one-half months is so little 
as hardly to be counted. The steers of course gained in frame, but lost 
their baby flesh in corresponding degree. 
SUMMARY OF COST OF FATTENING YEARLINGS 
Average weight per head June 3, 1911 . 632 lbs. 
Average gain per head, June 3 to September 18, on range . 26 lbs. 
Average weight per head, Sept. 18, 1911, . 658 lbs. 
Average weight per head, April 6, 1912, (Out of feed lot) . 1031 lbs. 
Average gain in weight per head (30 weeks) . 373 lbs. 
Average daily gain per head, . 1.78 lbs. 
Amount of feed consumed per head: 
Alfalfa hay . 2605 lbs. 
Feed Barley, . 1903 lbs. 
Value of feed consumed per head: 
Alfalfa hay at $5 per ton, . $ 6.51 
Feed barley at $1 per cwt., . 19.03 
Total . $25.54 
Feed consumed for 100 lbs. gain in weight: 
Alfalfa hay .... 698 lbs. 
Feed barley ..’. 510 lbs. 
Cost of 100 lbs. gain in live weight: 
(Alfalfa hay at $5 per ton, barley at $1 per cwt,) . $ 6.85 
Average amount of feed consumed daily: 
Alfalfa hay . 16.1 lbs. 
Feed Barley. 11.8 lbs. 
