Show SALTING METHODS ON THE FOREST RANGE By Bg Earl V. V Storm Grazing Examiner Great Basin Experiment Station U U. U S S. S Forest Service As the demand for meats and animal products by-products increase from year to year due to the rapid increase increase increase in in- crease in population and the wearing wearing wearing wear wear- wear wear- ing of th the range caused aused by the advent of the dry farmer it is apparent that the demand for grazing on the National Forests will also increase in somewhat the same proportion To-day To the stockman is enjoying the use of all ll available forage that can be grazed without serious injury to other Forest resources The Forest Forest Forest For For- est Officers who are charged with the administration of those ranges rang rang- es therefore have a great responsibility responsibility res res- a as they must see see to it that the feed is fully utilized each year but cropped on the basis of a sustained annual yield Within the past few years improved improved improved im im- proved methods of handling cattle cattle cattle cat cat- tle sheep and goats have been demonstrated to Lh the stockman on quite a n number of our ranges What Wha ha i is known as the Salting Plan flaT Method used on cattle and horse porse r ranges has resulted in conspicuous conspicuous conspicuous con con- improvement in in the he grazing rapacity capacity of V the range and in the profits to the stockman stockman stockman stock stock- man through greater meat production pro pro- Cattle require a certain amount of salt to keep the system vigorous vigor vigor- ous and healthy the amount depending depending depending de de- de- de pending upon the class of forage grazed and the time of the grazing season While on green forage more more salt is required than when feeding feeding feeding feed feed- ing on dry forage or in the feed lot The Forest Service require two pounds per head per month while the forage is green and succulent and one and one half pounds per month after the plants have matured and the leafage is somewhat dry Salt Salt of course is highly relished relished relished re re- re- re by cattle and horses horse and hence affords a means of distri distri- f y t v Z buting them over the range Whenever salt is placed paced on the range the animals congregate and lick at it until satisfied then V stroll off and graze If salted irregularly and in insufficient amounts a tendency results to over-eat over salt when available wh which ch frequently result in severe V sickness Lack of sufficient salt also results in stock loitering about an old salt lick where they V tr trample out much range as well V as lose in weight weigh t. t Salt placed t to along a trail near water or on on grassy where stock naturally naturally naturally nat nat- i congregate ultimately re results re- re suits in trampling out the forage in the vicinity of much salting places In sel places therefore the aim should be to place the salt on well ve vegetated areas remote from places which are sure to be grazed without V especially attracting the animals to them A good salting system requires s that the salt be placed where it is accessible to the stock but where it will attract V them away from the water and from natural loitering places Jn In InI I this way it is possible to get good t I h VV Con tinned on Page 8 8 I I J I t d. f J Salting Salting- Methods on n the Forest orest Range Ranger r Con Continued from Page 1 over the Hie range and to avoid overgrazing on any particular particular particular par par- I area In order to facilitate the proper proper pro pro- J I per distribution of the stock and to properly distribute the s salt lt each salting place may be designated designated designated by number or name and the place posted In In Addition add tion the amount of salt to be placed at each s salting station 1 and the date or dt daces s when it itis is t to tobe be be placed is determined in advance according according according accord accord- ing to the tile grazing capacity of the area w which ich the salting ground will control After the forage is consumed around the one salting place salt place salt is placed on another area which is ready for g grazing and nd so on through the season An ideal salting system provides for the placing playing of salt so as to hold the stock on the th early arly maturing maturing maturing ma ma ma- turing forage until fully utilized after fter is abandoned on these grounds and continued farther up the canyons and ridges ridges ridges rid rid- thus controlling grazing g un un- un- un til the forage is well weB developed To successfully carry carry out a detailed detailed detailed de de- de- de tailed salting plan as outlined it itis it itis itis is of course essential that the person responsible for the ad ad- of the range see to it that the salt s put out in the proper amount at at the time decided decided decia- decia ed upon The s salting is usually done by the he herder der It is also the herders herder's duty to noye the cattle to o the new salt grounds as well wella a as to p pick k up lany jany any stragglers which may may co continue to remain around old salt where the forage has alre already dy been consume e ed In this way the stock may be kept continually on on fresh feed and consequently come off the range in the fall in much better I J I condition than where definite no definite salting system is adopt adopted d. d The cost of salting per animal is trivial tri tri- vial compared with with I the gains made Salting plans have been successfully successfully successfully suc suc- carried ou out o on many ranges in the West but there still remains much to be done along this line Where the range was grad ally depleted it has been possible to prevent reduction in the number of stock permitted through proper salting due to uniform utilization of the forage over the entire allotment Stockmen everywhere should encourage improvement of the range conditions by adopting adopting adopt adopt- ing definite s salting plans W Wouldn't they do so if ff they could increase the grazing capacity of their ranges from 25 to 50 percent percent percent per per- cent That has been done on a afew afew afew few of the Forest ranges already and only a mere start has been made to date in the he adoption of improved salting plans o |