The Holly chieftain., 1919-06-05
VALUABLE INFORMATION ON
CATTLE LOSSES PAST WINTER
First National Bank of Holly Sends
Out Questionsirs to Cattle
Men in This Vicinity.

sOAA AAA 4AAD VASAAAtys
Under date of April l4th, the
First National bank of Holly, Colo
RADIO. mailed 20 questionaires to its
customers asking that they give
them data in regard to their exper-
ience the past winter and also make
their recommendations as to the
best and most economical way of
handling cattle during the winter.
The bank received IS answers and
from these replies they state the fol-
lowing:
A total of 2436 cattle were report
ed on and the loss figures 1873 per
cent. consisting of yearlings and
heifers heavy with calf mostly. The
loss among the larger operators
was very high in some cases but on
an average it will not exceed the
above named figure.
Owing to the severeness OF the
weather. the greater part of those
reporting. ran low on feed toward
1l'A AAA6 0Aiu tlC OlS sIOIHu
was as disastrous as the balance of
the winter taken together.
A great amount of alfalfa hay and
meal was fed but where they de-
pended on combination of either
OF these with cotton cake, their
losses were heavy. They report
that both cake and the alfalfa pro-
ducts have tendency to work on
the kidneys and are also very laxa-
tive. Stock grows weaker the long
er it is fed. Alfalfa and grain OF
some kind work well together but
very few used 1t in that way.
Plenty of fresh water is recon-
mended and many pumped warm
water every day and did not allow
the stock to drink from an ice
locked tank.
Ninety per cent of those report
ing give as their choice of feed for
wintering cattle, buffalo grass with
enough cake to keep the bowels
free. In case of the pasture being
covered they would increase the
cake and feed plenty kaffir, cane or
broom corn fodder. Ground maize
heads have given better results
than feeding the whole grain in the
bundle.
All recommend either sheds, tim
Der or rough ground as Windbreaks
but the construction of the sheds
and location as to drainage are
highly important. A wet shed is
worse than none and sheds without
natural windbreaks Or snow fences
north of them will generally drift
full and cause trouble. Some are
not so particular about sheds but
insist on dry bed ground. Where
cattle were compelled to lie on the
ice great many deaths were caused
by pneumonia. Cattle must lie
down and dry place should be
provided first of all.
These letters contained quite q
few proverbs such as: "A full belly
is the best windbreak," and Feed
your cattle before q storm instead
of AFTER" etc.
Several items enter into the win.
ter's loss besides the storms. Many
OF our customers were down with
the flu and unable to tend their
cattle properly. Others would
lack experience in dealing with q
winter of this kind and still Others
were not prepared.
A few of our customers recon-
mend the pit silo very highly for
farmers with a small herd. One
man makes the assertion that his
ensilage went five times as far as
the same amount of dry feed. This
is an item that Should be investi-
gated. In case of short crops many
advocate putting up the Russian
thistle. Where it is properly cared
for it makes excellent feed.