The Comparative Efficiency of Single Versus Three-Day Weights of Steers

Variances for initial and final weights and for gains of 402 feedlot steers and 394 range pasture-grazed steers were segregated into their components. The sources of variation considered of primary interest in this analysis were the variations for between animals and for residual. With absolute final weights it was found that in the Big Spring data the mean square for between animals can be reduced, as a result of two extra weights, by only 0.65 percent. Reduction in the mean square of the final weights of the Woodward summer grazed steers was 2.44 percent. In the winter grazed steers the reduction was 0.95 percent. The mean square for gains in the Big Spring steers is found to be reduced, as a result of four extra weighings, by 2.27 percent. Comparable figures for the Woodward summer and winter data are 7.32 percent and 7.61 percent, respectively. The sizes of the residual variation for gains in the three sets of data were 8.4, 10.6, and 9.8 pounds for Big Spring data, Woodward summer and winter data, respectively.