Gunnison news-champion., 1911-03-24
MsASA - CAvul
o0V Co. Css1s - q espssi-
- - ~ CAs.k Anu1s
CsFSH


Gazette appears an article written on
alfalfa fed besf in Mostrose aud
Delta coapties. from the pen of II A
Mostyn, the Osrav csttlemaa. His
views wlll he Of interest TO the read
esq of the News Champion.
AT your request will enaeavor
10 give q few facts and 6sures on
cattle fed by us in Montrose aud
Delta counties. Colorado. which NAV
interest some Who have been en-
deavorins TO fatten cattle ON alfalfa
alone or alfalfa with grain.
alfalfa feeding 10 both cattle and
sheep is becoming quite feature
throughout Colorado aud the vest.
We have been experimenting in feed
ing steers for eleven years and have
discovered that the locality in which
the alfalfa is grown has great deal
TO do with The results. The climate
and soil, it appears, have also much
to do with it, and last bot not lsast
the time that it 10 cut and the smau-
ner in which it 10 put up. We are
thosoaehly convinced that when al
falfa hay is fed without gram the
only kind Of steers to feed are aged
steers. BY this mean three year
olds and up. The younger steers do
not fatten rs fast while growing and
10 get the results ON the latter some
grain is necessary.
The kind of steers that have
given the best results are well-bred
fieshy three -year-olds Gn fact just ~
fieshy at possible, the more flesh they
carry the better will be the results
feed for from 800 to 240 days. These
steers when shipped have been
weighing between 400 and 500
pounds on the river markets and
have sold evenly with the corn fed
natives. In 1902 in the month Of
June we sold 100 steers on the Den.
yer market for $6.J5 per cwt., weigh
ing l.434 pounds In 1904 in the
same month we sold a tIain load in
Kansas City for $5.45 This year
the same kind of cattle in Denver on
bad market for $5.25 weighing
,4S7 pounds, all coming four wears
old. do not think that these same
results could be obtained in all local
ities, 40 the alfalfa in our section
seems to possess greater feeding
qualities than in the majority Of To-
calIties.
AS an experiment in 1904 we fed
three long yearling stesrs taken
right off grass and fed for 100 days
on corn chop and alfalfa These
steers averaged 10 pounds Of corn
chop and about Is pound. of alfalfa
per day. They sold in Denver the
latter part Of February, 1904. to the
Colorado Packing company for 95.l2
l-2 per cwt. and weighed l,430
pounds The best steer dressed 65
per cent after dedocting 2 per cent
from warm weight, the next 63 IA
per cent and the Youngest 60 "a.
These had never had a pound of
grain previous to the 100 days feed
before mentioned. These steers
were weighed at home fSll and the
average shrink in Denver wae only
20 pounds. ! mention these facts
merely TO demonstrate what can be
Done on alfalfa with grain in our
section Of the country. and l think l
would make no mistake in asserting
that we can finish cattle for market
just - we'll and just - cheap if not
cheaper than can be done anywhere
in the United States. I admit that
our corn costs rs considerably more
- Ne have TO ship il from the eaA-
ern ssaaea. bot along with alfalfa -
. roaeAness we feed % mech los
grain tAan our eastern Competitor
than il more than ofsets the differ
ence.
with regard 70 the e.ins psr day