i12 



EXPERniENTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM, BRANDON, MAN. 



REPOET OF THE SUPEEINTENDENT, W. C. McKILLICAN, B.S.A. 



STEEE FEEDING EXPERIMENTS. 



During the winter of 1912-Td, twenty steers were fed for experimental purposes. 

 They were all fed out-of-doors and the season was quite unfavourable for the out-door 

 feeding. There was a large amount of stormy weatiier, with strong winds and snow. 

 This is much harder to bear than severe cold. The gains made were small, and the 

 profits not as large as should have been obtained considering the margin between 

 buying and selling prices. 



The exper/ment conducted was a comparison of alfalfa against part of the 

 meal ration. The alfalfa steers were hardly as good a lot as the others, and were iu 

 a more exposed location, so that the results are not a fair indication of the com- 

 parative feeding value of alfalfa. 



Both lots were given all the straw they would eat. Both lots were started on 

 2 pounds of grain per day; this was gradually increased from week to week. From 

 January 1, lot 1 received 3 pounds less grain each per day than lot 2, and in its 

 place received 3 pounds of alfalfa. The grain ration at the end of the test was 15 

 pounds per steer daily for lot 2. After April 15, lot 2 received some alfalfa in 

 addition to straw, and both lot? received a small allowance of roots daily. 



The details of the experiment and the results obtained are stated in Tabular 

 form herewith: — 



Steer Feeding Experiment, 1912-13. 



Lot. 2. 



No. of steers in lot 



First weight gross, November 18, 1912. 



First weight average 



Finished weight gross, June 6, 1913 



Finished weight average 



Total gain in 200 days 



Average gainper steer 



Average daily gain per steer . 



First cost of steers at $5.80 per cwt — 



Total cost of feed 



Total cost. 



.lb. 



Receipts froih sale at $7.75 per cwt., 5 per cent shrinkage. 



Profit 



Average cost per steer 



Average cost of feed per steer 



Average selling price per steer 



Average profit per steer 



Average cost of 1 pound gain 



Returns realized per 100 pounds of oats and barley 



Amount of feed used 



Oat and barley chop, ?15 per ton 



Ground corn. ?20 per ton 



Alfalfa, $10 per ton 



Roots, S.3 per ton 



Straw, $2 per ton 



. cts. 



lb. 



8,750 

 1,094 

 9.855 

 1,232 

 1,105 

 138 



•69 



507 50 



199 27 



706 77 



725 63 



18 86 



63 44 



24 91 



90 70 



2 35 



18 



95 



13,656 

 718 



7,488 



2,821 



48,000 



12 



13,735 



1,145 



15,655 



1,305 



1,880 



157 



•78 



796 63 



300 32 



1,096 95 



1,152 58 



55 63 



66 39 



25 03 



96 05 



4 63 



16 



99 



23.202 

 1.092 

 7,452 

 4,074 



72,000 



