The Sidney herald., 1963-12-11
Mineral requirements of
Range Cattle

MILKY SastD
A question frequently asked
that of the mineral requirement.
of range cattle in Montana. Til
answers are found in a new Elk
tension Service Folder entitled
Minerals for Range Cattle
This publication is written b.
N. A.. Jacobsen, Extension Live
stock Specialist. and Dr.. Oscar
Thomas, Animal Nutrltlonlst al
the Montana Agricultural Expert
ment Station. 1t points out that
the principal minerals needed III
supplemental form by range cat.
tie in Montana are salt, phospho-
rus and iodine. The feeding OF a
trace-minerahzed salt-phosphorus
mixture is the most common way
of meeting these mineral needs.
Range cattle also need calcium
however this mineral is found III
abundance. in range grasses an
HAYS in Montana so that it is not
necessary to supply it in supple
mental form. Because oil TINS, q
good mineral mixture must mol
have a wider acknowledgements
ratio than 2 to /. This IS the nor
NAL body ratio of these two min
erals according to the authors Of
the folder. Tests at the Montana
Agricultural Experiment Station
have demonstrated that a wider
ratio can produce symptoms oil
phosphorus deficiency.
The folder also provides infor-
nation on ways to feed minerals.
suggestions on purchasing min.
eral mixtures, and on the use 81
appetizers.
Copies of the folder ere avail
able on request from the Exten
sion Office.
Cost of Gain Studies
Extension Farm Management
Specialists at Montana State
College have pointed out some Ill
teresting facts relative to cost:
of gain in feeding cattle to heav
Ter weights. This is done in many
areas but may not be profitable
when the cost of the extra gan
is considered. The higher cost 0
the extra gain may actually re
suit in the feeder losing money
Studies reported by the Univer
sity of illinois, the economist
point out, show that cost of gan
increases moderately up to
point and then jumps markell,
for the last several hundred
pounds.
AS an example, for calves go
ing into the feedlot at 400 pounds
the cost for each additional
pounds Of gain was as follows
1St, $lO.71; 2nd, S1l.bl; 3r1
$13.1S; 4th, $15.01; 5th, $17.69
9th, S21.23; and 7th, S26.55.
Note that after the 5th hun
bred pounds Of gain the ANNA
weighed 900 pounds and here tn
costs jumped rather sharply. TIL
average feed cost per 100 pound
of gain was $16.5S.
These costs are for feed onl,
and do not include interest, labor
and other expenses. For this II
linois test, feed was figured o.
the basis of corn at $1.10 pc
bushel, hay at $500 per ton
and protein at $500 per hundred
weight.
For yearlings and 2-year-old
the cost of gain is higher RICH
at the start than for calves bu
the older cattle also show thi
marked jump in cost of gain a
the animals become heavier.
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Whether you are a parent,
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