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Steers Need Hay for the Winter: Spreadsheets to the Rescue!. Paula Keesling Nettlecreek School Corporation, Hagerstown, IN. Typewriter Correction Ribbon. Scientific Calculator. Apple IIe. Floppy Disks. Original Macintosh. Steers Need Hay for the Winter
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Steers Need Hay for the Winter: Spreadsheets to the Rescue! Paula Keesling Nettlecreek School Corporation, Hagerstown, IN
Steers Need Hay for the Winter The winter is going to be long and there will not be any grass for the cattle from October until at least April and maybe longer, and we need to figure how much hay to buy for them to last through the winter months. I know a few things to help us solve this problem. • It takes 24 mo. for a steer to reach 1200 lbs. (That is how big we want them to get.) A newborn calf will weigh approximately 100 lbs. • A steer will eat 3% of his body weight every day. • A round bale of hay weighs about 900 lbs., but the cattle waste about 10% of it. Round bales cost $30 each. • A square bale of hay weighs about 50 lbs., and they eat all of it. Square bales cost $4 each. We are keeping six steers over the winter. Here are their ages in October. Three are 9 months old. Two are 14 months old. One is 22 months old and will be sold as soon as he reaches 1200 lbs. You need to decide how much hay should be purchased to feed the steers all winter based on the information given. Use a spreadsheet program to help you calculate your answer. Write a letter to the owner (Gary) to let him know how much hay he should buy. Be sure to justify your recommendation and be sure to include the paper showing all of your math so he can follow your thinking. Problem written by Paula Keesling for advanced sixth grade.
6th Grade Math Steers Need Hay for the Winter Student name______________________________
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