Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], March 15, 1953, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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March 15, 1953
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Contrast fat, healthy cow and calves in circle
with broken down specimens above. The cow
and calves were photographed on the range
after a summer of supplementary phosphorus
feeding. The heifer above was crippled with
swollen joints, was very "spooky" and in
bony, unthrifty condition. It had run on an
adjoining range not supplied with supplement.
Bone-chewing cow above also ran on a near
by pasture where grass cover was good but
no supplement was provided. She is graphic
illustration of need for phosphorus. Many
animals have been lost from choking on
bones and ether foreign objects because of
depraved appetites due to feed deficiencies.
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Phosphorus
For Range Livestock
This story of how a number of eastern Montana ranchers are
feeding supplements to their range cattle could be of vital im
portance to every livestock man. But, as Deputy State Veteri
narian Glen Halver warns, "We have a long way to go on this
thing. So far we have brushed only the surface of the nutri
tional problems. Any conclusions reported are to serve only as
a guide, for they are not yet facts or proven formulas.'
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W E started feeding phosphorus to the range cattle in the fall
of 1949," said John Strobel, Prairie county rancher and one
nearly a dozen ranchers who use the so-called "Pasture No. 4
of the Prairie County Co-operative Grazing District near Mildred.
It made me at least $5,000 the following year," he continued. "You
see, my calf crop was only 53 per cent in 1950, but in 1951 it came
back to more than 90 per cent healthy calves at branding time.
And at weaning time then, and since, their weights and the weights
of the cows have been especially good.
John Strobel's experience was no different from that of the other
ranchers who have co-operated with the Montana Extension Service,
Montana Livestock Sanitary Board, Montana Research Laboratory,
and the Soil Conservation Service in setting up and carrying out
Back in 1949 livestock men in eastern Montana noticed cattle
that were characterized by lameness, poor fleshing, small calf crops
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a practical research problem.
Erling Mathiason, another rancher, sold 40 yearling steers a year
ago that weighed 96 pounds more than his steers had the previous
year, despite the fact that 1950 was an even better year for grass
than 1951 in this locality. His calf crop was 75 per cent before the
phosphorus feeding started, 98 per cent last year and 94 per cent
this year.
Started in '49
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March 22-28
Bozeman, Montana
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an d weak calves, depraved appetite and bone chewing. The trouble
was tentatively diagnosed as a phosphorus deficiency.
This was not news-worthy in itself, for areas deficient in this
element have been known for a quarter of a century in Montana.
But how to correct it, what to feed, how much, when, where . . .
those were the questions.
The co-operating state, federal and county agencies mentioned
above were asked to help. Dr. Glen Halver, State Deputy Veterin
arian at Glendive, did the diagnostic work. He checked the cattle
for other diseases or conditions that might enter the picture. He
took the blood samples which were analyzed at the Montana Re
search Laboratory in Bozeman.
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John D. Strobel, left, and David Stro
bel (no relation) two of the ranchers
running cattle in Prairie County's
community pasture No. 4, look over
one of the rancher-designed and built
phosphorus feeding stations on range.
This feeding station has a less elabo
rate hood and stand than the one at
the right but both were made from
55-gallon oil drums cut open to allow
easy access and provide a protecting
hood to prevent caking from rains.
(Please turn to page 40)