A comparison of wintering in dry lot with wintering on dry bluestem pasture for yearling steers on a wintering, grazing, and fattening program.

Abstract

Twenty head of good-quality yearling Hereford steers were used in the test. They were purchased from the Lanker Ranch. Medicine Lodge, Kans., as calves in the fall of 1954; they were wintered in dry lot and then grazed on bluestem pastures during the summer of 1955. November 16, 1955, they were divided to two lots of 10 steers each. The only difference in treatment of the two lots was during the winter. The treatment for each lot was, as follows: Lot 11. wintered in dry lot on silage supplemented with protein; bluestem pasture from May 3 to July 9; fed grain and protein on grass from July 9 to September 15, 1956. Lot 12, wintered on dry bluestem pasture supplemented with protein; bluestem pasture from April 7 to July 9; fed grain and protein on grass from July 9 to September 15,1956. The 20 steers were grazed together from May 3 until September 15. During the grain-feeding period, July 19 to September 15, the two lots were penned each morning and fed separately. Half of the steers in each lot were implanted with 84 mgs. of stilbestrol in December of l955. The results of this treatment may be found elsewhere in this publication.