The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1898-01-28

dthuoni lhe Dane OF the cattle buHi-
ness In Colorado. as elsewhere. IL the
cattle thief. or "rustler." n Il were
not for the danger OF loss from this
source. the cattle could be left TO them
selves most Of the time through tho
summer, and by the use OF fences
around the winter range. but little time
would necessarily be devoted to them
the rest OF the year. But the rustler
u omniprosent. and n II we're known
that nobody was looking out for any
given herd. II would rapidly disappear.
This necessity for riding the range
nearly all the year largely increases
the cost Of running cattle. especially
considering the small sizes OF tho
punches. All degrees OF winter feed
Ing exist. There are few winter ranges
40 good that the animals will gain in
weight during cold weather. The frst
frosts come In September. and from
then until the new grass starts the
next May, animals on the range do
we'll ~ they hold their weight. This
leaves but i've months In the year for
the animal to grow and seven months
for II to stand still or even 10 back
ward.
II Ia evident that. n winter feed
we're good enough 10 keep the animal
growing all the time II would bring the
animal 20 marketable sire in n much
shorter time The present tendency OF
cattle raising n In this direction. A
large number Of cattle In the state are
vlntsred on range feed mostly In the
bottom land. A atlll larger number
are fed through part OF the winter on
native hay cut along the streams. A
smaller number are wlntered on tame
hay, largely Timothy. that has been
sown for that purpose, and n still
smaller number are brought ont Of The
hills and parks TO winter IN the irri-
rated regions on alfalfa hay. The lat
ter form In. OF course. the most expen-
sivs and It's advantage Ia merely q
question Of the amount OF growth
made a. compared with the value Of
the hay eaten. But few cattle would
be fed In the irrigated regions n al
fAlfa vas their only feed. II happens.
however. that. although the pillow has
Destroyed the range. yet II has subati-
il's the atubble iielda. To utilize the
a.,' u both Of grain and Of alfalfa
anG me straw OF the grain, IL the prin-
cipal reason for winterinE cattle In the
irrigated regions All this good feed
material would otherwise be a total
loss. Grain atubhle and the straw that
goes with II sells for winter feeding at
from $40 TO 800 per quarter section.
The cattle get considerable grain from
the stubble and from the chat nj the
straw stacks. II IL not expected that
cattle wintered In this way will gain
In weight. but II IN n rather cheap way
Of carrying stock through the winter.
In whatever way stock are winterod,
there are few feeders In the state who
do not MAXI some arrangement for
giving their stock extra feed In cases
OF unusually severe stormM They thus
reduce the risk OF running cattle. and
IN tho course OF years greatly reduce
the winter losses. when cattle were
allowed TO rustic for themselves. thors
was n pront IN the business. on the
average. because beef was high and
summer feed cost nothing. hut when
the severe storms did come many n
herd was almost wiped out OF exist
ence. and the owners ruined fnRn-
cialiy. Stock raising under such n Sys-
TEN was gambling on tho weather of
the next winter. As the price Of beef
fell. the business could not stand such
heavy drain on ita profits and the
cattlemen either went out OF the bus
lneaa or made provision for n moro GERS
tain winter iced. The most trying
time OF the year for stock IA the
months OF March. April and May. whom
the stock. already weakened by winter
ing on acant rationa. are turned on the
stubble nelds onto the summer ranges.
The new grass Ia not yet sufficient 10
supply their wants. and late storms
often do enormous damage. A stack
or two Of hay carried over until this
time IL often the most profitable crop
OF tho year Many farmers carry hay
10 the range. and the cattle soon learn
where TO 10 for fodder during storms.
The most economical winter feeding
Ia that Where the summer range 10
near the winter range. 30 that the cat
tie can be left as long Us possible on
the summer range and. when brought
10 the winter range. they are then near
the place where the hay was cut Un-
der these conditions they can gather
their own living. except In case OF
storms or deep SHOWS. Hay IL then fed
without moving them from the range.
The usual. amount ia ten pounds Of
hay per head per day. They may need
10 be fed but couple OF days, before
the weather moderatoa, or this feeding
may In extreme cases last continuous
~ for months. as II did Ia the winter
Of iSS4-95 on some ranges. The hay
Ia fed scattered on the ground. cattle
men having found by experience that
but little Is thus wasted and there 10
a saving Of the cost OF racks and tho
danger OF accidents that
some from the crowding and pushing
" rackfed cattle.
Straw can be probably used an
arge part OF the food for cattle that
are being fed through the winter.
West Of the main range In Colorado,
where the number OF cattle Ia large as
with the land sown to grain.
nearly all the straw Is 80 used.