TABLE 3.-VALUE OF UNIRRIGATED AND IRRIGATED ALFALFA-OAT-CLOVER PASTURES GRAZED BY DAIRY HEIFERS, BY YEARS.


 1954-55 1955
Unirrigated Unirrigated


Grazing season began -..... .......... ..
Grazing season ended ............... ...
Length of grazing season, days ...................
Number of pasture rotations ..................

Av. initial weight of heifers, lbs .........
Av. daily gain per animal, lbs ..............
Gains expressed as percentage of
 normal growth rate** .................
Av. gains per acre, lbs.......... ...............

T.D.N. obtained from pasture, per acre, lbs.
Alfalfa hay equivalent obtained from
 pasture, per acre, tons ...........


Calculated feed replacement value of
 forage, per acre ..........................
Calculated cost of pasture production
 excluding irrigation, per acre ...............
Feed replacement value increase per
 acre inch of water applied .................


-1-54
-20-55
286
 9


-17-55
-17-56
215
 9


453 459*


 1.3

 145
 755

5,227

 5.2


$247

$ 89


 1.4

 141
 642

4,344

 4.3


56
Irrigated

11-3-55
 9-17-56
 284
 9

 438


 1956-
Unirrigated

 4-12-57
 7-12-57
 91
 3

 511*


57
Irrig

2-20
7-12
 14


1.3 1.3


3,68


5,547 1,670

 5.5 1.7


ated


 1959-60
Unirrigated


-57 1-12-60
-57 8-18-60 .
12 218
4 6

0 421
1.6 1.0

24 100
)1 917

87 7,098

3.7 7.1
 '"-t


$288

$ 67


$ 3.64


$ 4.19


* Higher average initial weight of animals on unirrigated pasture was due to gains made subsequent to date grazing was begun on irrigated pasture.
** The standard growth curve for dairy heifers reported by Ragsdale (Mo. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 336) was used for comparison.