DITISION OF AyiMlL H USB AX DRY 327 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



EXPERIMENTAL STATION, LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. 

 REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. H. EAIRFIELD, M.S. 



STEER-FEEDING EXPERIMENT. 



With tlie yearly increase in acreage of alfalfa ou tho irrigated lands in the dis- 

 trict, more and more interest is being taken by farmers in the question of feeding it 

 at home rather than baling and shipping. To gather data along this line a feeding 

 test was carried out with a carload of steers. 



Steers were purchased from Mr. A. C. Christensen, Beazer, Alta. The price paid 

 was $75 per head for 3-year-olds and $65 per head for 2-year-olds; the average price 

 per hundred pounds was $6.17. They were shipped from Cardston by rail and were 

 received at the Station on September 21. From then on to November 2 they were 

 allowed to run on stubble, with access to a small field of rape. 



One of the objects aimed at was to test the feeding of alfalfa combined with oat 

 hay as a roug'hage, compared with feeding alfalfa alone. 



The cattle were divided into three groups and fed as follows: — 

 Group I. — Alfalfa, roots and meal. 

 Group II. — Alfalfa, oat sheaves, roots and meal. 

 Group III. — Alfalfa, oat sheaves, roots and meal. 



The first two groups were as nearly equal in, point of size and conformation as 

 possible, whereas group III contained some of the culls and the four two-year-old 

 steers. All three groups were fed in the open in corrals adjacent to the barn and had 

 open straw slied? for shelter. They were wateral once a day by being driven to the 

 Farm reservoir which was about a quarter of a mile from the feeding yards. 



EER.S. 



In every case the steers were given all the alfalfa they would^ eat up clean. Four 

 pounds per day of green oat sheaves were given to groups II and III for the greater 

 part of the feeding period; during the balance of the time they I'cceived 5 pounds. 

 The roots consisted of pulped turnips; the meal of equal parts of wheat, oats, and 

 barley. The prices charged for the feed were as follows : — 



Per Ton. 



Alfalfa liay $12 00 



Green oat sheaves 10 00 



Meal 20 00 



Roots 3 00 



