| Show cattle feeders secure profit krofl t I 1 steers gaining in winter make best gains of year on summer grass cattle feeders feeder ro in tile the appalachian mountain region have differed for came time la in their opinions regarding the best way to winter steers that are to be finished the following on pasture the general practice to in that area has been to winter steers op dry feed such cuch ina as hay bay coin corn stover and wheat straw and also on corn silage to a less lesa extent in such buch a way that they are permitted to lose 1090 weight some cattlemen hold bold the idea that it Is profitable to permit this loss 1080 of weight which with older steers usually varies from 25 to pounds each others believe that cattle wintered on silage or a ration of which silage Is a part will not do wellon well on grass grasa the following summer slimmer made larger gains some intensive experiments have been in progress since 1014 1914 in cooperation 0 per atlon between the united states department of agriculture and tile the west virginia experiment station the results of which show that on the whole steers which make larger winter gains ulso also make larger total gains for tin the year when ahert fattened on grass lie following sti nimer the results of these testa also qiao showed that lint the lie steers which made only slight gains or lost loat in weight during the lie winter ninde made greater grei iter gains on pasture titan steers which made large winter whiter gains thus while ohp light wanter fed steers tended to over come the of the lie heavier winter fed steers they arv were not able to do 0 so o entirely during the grass oling period it la Is important K ray the that lint cattle to ile he marketed early e irly khouli gain considerably more weight N dilling dill ing all winter ter tinn it if they me are late whether to frel feed to buile largo winter ruins or not depends niora korv on the cost of if the lie radon than tiny iny other factor lio lincir cir cheapest winter gains the M inter rat lotis which gave tile the greatest gning and the cheapest gains in thew tests berv rr tho ln more succulent ones iles composed of oc silie alone or silage cottonseed meal and straw or tillage It ginno liay hit v and straw as compared to the HIP dry rations of mixed liny hay ani esir corn or mixed hay and lutt stav tile the cost of wint prin 9 steers Is two thirds of the cost of keeping for otie one avar nr therefore tile lie profit depends to n large extent upon the lie cost of the winter inter ration |
