The Kansas, Oklahoma, and Ohio Agricultural Experiment Stations
are cooperating in this study, which is supported by grants from
the American Hereford Association. In October, 1948, each station
received 96 steer calves from the following commercial herds: Bar 13
Ranch, P. K. Ranch, and O. M. Wallop, Sheridan, Wyoming; and M.
C. Simpson, Volborg, Montana.
These steer calves, sired by small, medium, and large size bulls are
being compared at each of the three stations under three standard
systems of feeding and management.
System I involves immediate full feeding for 225 days.
System II represents a deferred full feeding program in which the
steers calves are wintered well, grazed without grain from May 1 to
August 1, and then full fed in dry lot 100 days.
System III has for its objective the production of two-year old
grass fat steers without the feeding of grain. Phases under this system
include: wintering as calves without grain; grazing as yearlings a full
season without supplemental feed; wintering as yearlings without
grain; grazing as two-year olds without supplemental feed and selling
as slaughter cattle directly off pasture