138 



tite of the steer. The concentrates were increased 

 from tmie to tmie as the steer would take the increase 

 without showing signs of going off feed. 



The feeder should watch fattening steers very close- 

 ly for signs of going off feed. Considerable time and 

 loss of gain is usually experienced in getting a steer 

 back on feed again. The symptoms that usually in- 

 dicate that a steer is not doing well are the loss of 

 the healthy appearance of the coat of hair and the 

 droppings becoming thin and sour. If these symp- 

 toms develop, the amount of feed shoidd be reduced. 

 Steers will feed more uniformly if individuals of the 

 same age and size are grouped together in the feed lot. 



The following table outlines, by twenty-eight day 

 periods, the amount of feed given each steer daily: 



Table 1. Showing average amount of feed consumed 

 daily, per steer, December 18, 1915, to March 

 24, 1916, (97 days.) 



During the first two weeks of the test the velvet 

 beans and pods were ground coarse so they could be 

 mixed thoroughly ^^^th the silage. At the end of the 

 two-weeks period it was evident that the steers relish- 

 ed the ration and at this time the grinding of the beans 

 was discontinued. During the remainder of the ex- 

 periment the beans in the pods were fed whole. They 

 were thoroughly mixed with the silage so that each 

 steer would get only his share. 



The steers in Lot 6 ate on an average 2.76 pounds 

 of cottonseed meal and 35.40 pounds of silage daily 

 during the first twenty-eight clays. The amount of 

 meal was gradually increased until at the close of the 

 experiment each steer was eating 6.46 pounds of cot- 

 tonseed meal per day. 



