Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-20
Cattle Railing In Colorado.

oLatlon. Inc pane OF the cbIIl0 DuSl-
ness in Colorado, as elsewhere, is the
cattle thief. or "rustler." If it were
not for the danger Of loss from this
source, the cattle could be left to them
selves most Of the time through the
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
is omnipresent, and If it were known
that nobody was looking out for any
given herd, it 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 the
punches. All degrees of winter feed
ing exist. There are few winter ranges
so good that the animals will gain in
weight during cold weather. The first
frosts come in September, and from
then until the new grass starts the
next May, animals on the range do
we'll If they hold their weight. This
leaves but five months in the year for
the animal to grow and seven months
for it to stand still or even go back
ward.
1t is evident that, If winter feed
were good enough to keep the animal
growing all the time it would bring the
animal to marketable size in much
shoVter time. The present tendency OF
cattle raising is in this direction. A
large number Of cattle in the state are
wintered on range feed mostly in the
bottom land. A still larger number
are fed through part Of the winter on
native hay cut along the streams. A
smaller number are wintered on tame
hay, largely Timothy, that has been
sown for that purpose, and a still
smaller number are brought out Of the
hills and parks to winter in the irri-
gated regions on alfalfa hay. The lat
ter form is, Of course, the most eXpen-
sive and its advantage is merely a
question of the amount Of growth
made as compared with the value OF
the hay eaten. But few cattle would
be fed in the irrigated regions II al
falfa was their only feed. 1t happens,
however, that, although the pillow has
destroyed the range, yet it has substi-
tuted the stubble fields. To utilize the
stubble both Of grain and Of alfalfa
and the straw of the grain, is the prin-
cipal reason for wintering cattle In the
irrigated regions. All this good feed
material would otherwise be total
loss. Grain stubble and the straw that
goes with 1t sells for winter feeding at
from $40 to $500 per quarter section.
The cattle get considerable grain from
the stubble and from the chaff at the
straw stacks. 1t is not expected that
cattle wintered in this way will gain
in weight, but 1t is rather cheap way
of carrying stock through the winter.
In whatever way stock are wintered,
there are few feeders in the state who
do not make some arrangement for
giving their stock extra feed in cases
of unusually severe storms. They thus
reduce the risk of running cattle, and
in the course Of years greatly reduce
the winter losses. When cattle were
allowed to rustic for themselves, there
was a profit in the business, on the
average, because beef was high and
summer feed cost nothing. But when
the severe storms did come many a
herd was almost wiped out Of exist
ence, and the owners ruined imam
cially. Stock raising under such sys-
TEN was gambling on the weather OF
the next winter. AS the price Of beef
fell, the business could not stand such
a heavy drain on its profits and the
ccttlemen either went out Of the bus
mess or made provision for more GER
tain winter feed. The most trying
time of the year for stock is the
months Of March, April and May, when
the stock, already weakened by winter
ing on scant rations, are turned of the
stubble fields onto the summer ranges.
The new grass is not yet sufficient to
supply their wants, and late storms
often do enormous damage. A stack
or two Of hay carried over until this
time is often the most profitable crop
of the year. Many farmers carry hay
to the range, and the cattle soon learn
where to 20 for fodder during storms.
The most economical winter feeding
is that where the summer range 10
near the winter range, so that the cat
tie can be left as long as possible on
the summer range and, when brought
to the winter range, they are then near
the place where the hay was cut. I'm
der these conditions they can gather
their own living, except in case OF
storms or deep SHOWS. Hay is then fed
without moving them from the range.
The usual amount is ten pounds Of
hay per head per day. They may need
to be fed but a couple Of days, before
the weather moderates, or this feeding
may in extreme cases last continuous
ly for months, as it did in the winter
of 1S94-95 on some ranges. The hay
is fed scattered on the ground, cattle
men having found by experience that
but little Is thus wasted and there is
a saving of the cost of racks and the
danger Of accidents that
come from the crowding and pushing
of rackfed cattle.
Straw can be proftably used as a