DIVISION OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



535 



SESSIONAL PAPER Mo. 16 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM, BRANDON, MAN. 

 REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT— W. C. McKILLICAN, B.S.A. 



STEER FEEDING EXPERIMENTS. 



The feeding of steers out-of-doors as compared with stabling - was again tested 

 in the winter of 1911-12. A carload of steers was bought on November 30, 1911, at 

 4^ cents per pound. They wort! not as good steers as have usually been used in the 

 experimental work. They were divided into two lots. One lot of twelve was fed out- 

 doors, with no shelter except native scrub oak trees. They were fed on straw, as the 

 principal roughage, and with a small quantity of dry corn stalks and a little alfalfa, 

 at the last of the feeding period. They also received a small quantity of frozen 

 turnips, during the middle of the test. Their grain ration started at 2 pounds per 

 day, and was gradually increased to 15 pounds per day. 



The steers fed inside received a daily ration of 8 pounds of straw, 15 pounds of 

 turnips and 35 pounds of com silage. They also received a little alfalfa, at the end 

 of their feeding period. Their grain ration started at 2 pounds per day, and was 

 gradually increased to 13 pounds per day. 



The feed consumed was valued at the following rates : — 



Straw $ 2 00 per ton. 



Oats and barley 20 00 " 



Dry cornstalks 5 00 " 



Corn silage 2 00 " 



Roots '2 00 " 



Alfalfa 12 00 



Results. 



Number of steers in lot 



First weight, gross, November 30, 1911 lb. 



ii n average " 



Finished weight gross, May 13, 1912 « 



ti M average h 



Total gain in 167 days. « 



Average gain per ?teer i 



Daily gain per steer " 



First cost of steers at 4£ cents per pound $ 



Total cost of feed » 



Total cost > 



Receipts from sale at 6J cents per pound, 5 per cent shrinkage. ... ■■ 



Profit - 



Average cost per steer n 



Average cost feed per steer n 



Average selling price per steer ■• 



Average profit per steer h 



Average cost 100 pounds gain 



Amount* of Fred utcd. 



Oat and barley chop lb. 



Straw ii 



Dry corn stalks » 



Corn silage " 



Roots ii 



Alfalfa 



Lot 1 

 Outside. 



12 



11,495 



958 



14,310 



1,1924 



2,815 



2344 



14 



488 54 



281 49 



770 03 



987 63 



217 60 



40 71 



23 46 



82 30 



18 13 



10 00 



19,792 

 32,000 

 11,000 



5,460 

 3,264 



Lot 2 

 Inside. 



7 

 6,835 

 976 

 8,050 

 1,150 

 1,215 

 174 

 1 04 

 290 49 

 164 92 

 455 41 

 516 20 

 60 79 

 41 50 

 23 56 

 73 74 

 8 68 

 13 57 



9,762 

 9,296 



33,000 



15,760 



1,542 



