REPORT OF THE AGRICi'LTlRIST 61 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



By way of coimneut it might be added that the cows seemed to relish the apples, 

 which were of different sorts, and to thrive upon them as shown by the quite con- 

 siderable gain of 23 pounds per cow made in 14 days while on apples, whereas during 

 the subsequent 2 weeks a loss of 16 pounds per cow is shown. The health of the cows 

 seemed to be very favourably affected by the apples, as might be inferred from the 

 above. , 



Calves given a few of the apples each day seemed to like them, and did well on 

 them. 



BEEF PKODUCTIOX. 



EXPERIilEXTS IN 1903-4. 



The lines of experiment followed in the winter of 1903-4 were : — Influence of age 

 on cost of beef; influence of manner of 'hoiLsing, i.e., feeding loose vs. feeding tied; 

 baby beef; values of feeds. 



On the whole the steer feeding operations may be considered successful from the 

 financial point of view since the selling price covered the cost of the steers, the cost 

 of the feed at market prices, and left a fair margin for profit. Full particulars are 

 given in the group reports. 



In conducting feeding operations the farmer may seldom expect to make much 

 over and above market prices for his feeds, but he will, of course, have saved himself 

 the trouble of marketing the feeds and will have retained on his farm a large amount 

 of material for fertilizing purposes without which it is practically impossible to long 

 farm successfully in Canada. 



LOOSE vs. TIED. 



The experiment of feeding lots of steers loose as compared with feeding similar 

 lets tied has been continued as indicated above and is concluded. The results in 1903-1 

 are decidedly in favour of loose box feeding. The loose box fed lots gained on the 

 average 311 pounds per steer in 129 days, while the tied steers gained 275 lbs. in 129 

 days. The loose box steers put on flesh at a cost of $4.76 per 100 lbs., while the tied 

 lots cost $5.39 per 100 lbs. gain in live weight. 



• 



Lot 'A ' — {Three-year-olds') — Loose. 



is umber of steers in lot 8 



First weight, gross 9,888 lbs. 



First weight, average 1,236 '* 



Finished weight, gross. 12,240 " 



Finished weight, average 1,530 '' 



Total gain in 129 days 2,352 " 



Average gain per steer 294 " 



.Daily gain for lot, 8 steers 18"24 " 



Daily gain per steer 2'28 " 



Gross cost of feed $ 122 89 



Cost of 100 pounds gain 5 22 



Cost of steers, 9,888 lbs. at $4 per 100 lbs 395 52 



Total cost to produce beef, $395.52 + $122..89 518 41 



Sold, 12,240 lbs. at $5 per 100 lbs., less 5 per cent. ... 581 40 



Profit on lot ; 62 99 



Xet profit per steer 7 87 



Average buying price per steer 49 44 



Average selling price per steer. . . . • 72 67 



Average increase in value 23 23 



Average cost of feed per steer 15 36 



