DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 63 



Animals Chosen for the Bxperiment. 



Four lots of cattle were selected from the college herd Dec. 1, 1881. 



Lot I consisted of two niilcli cows, Ayrsliire and Shonhorn, that had 

 dropped first calves early in September of the same year. 



L'jt II was coniposad of two steers, Devon and Ayrsliire, of nearly the same 

 asre and weisfht. The Devon was in rather better flesh than the other. 



Lot III had two large, dry cows. Shorthorns, very nearly alike as to weight, 

 time of calving, condition of flesh, and feeding qualities. 



Lot IV was made np of three bull calves, all Shorthorns, which were very 

 even as to weight, condition of flesh, and age. 



Previous Treatment of the Animals. 



Owing to the late growth of grass and the mild fall weather, the cows and 

 steers had been turned out to pasture during the day and stabled only at night. 

 They had been fed dry cut cornstalks once and meal twice daily. The three 

 bull calves had been kept in stalls for a month previous to the experiment, and 

 had received a good hay and meal ration. 



During the month of November all the animals selected for the experiment 

 had lost weight, except the bull calf '*No. 9" of the table, and he had 

 gained nothing. 



Nos. 3, 5, and 6 of the table were in good flesh — not fat — and the rest were 

 in thrifty condition, though in rather thin flesh. 



Treatment Durinfj the Experiment. 



During the experiment all the animals were fed regularly three times daily 

 at 6:30 a. m., noon, and 5 p. m. They were watered in the stall at 8 a. m., 

 and again just before feeding at night. The milking was done just before 

 the regular morning and evening feedings. 



The animals were well groomed daily with card and brush. Every day, 

 from 10 A. M. till noon, the cattle were turned into yards sheltered on the 

 north and west. AVhile in the yard they again had access to water. At this 

 time also, each day, the stalls were well cleaned and littered. The cattle were 

 salted twice each week. They were weighed on putting up, and regularly 

 eacii week thereafter at 4 p. m. 



The cattle were attended throughout the experiment by one man, and espe- 

 cial pains were taken to secure regularity and uniformity in everything per- 

 taining to the feed and care of the animals. 



Feed and Feeding Notes. 



The rough feed was all cut into one-fourth to one-half inch lengths by a 

 power cutter. The cornstalks were not very good, owing to bad weather while 

 curing. The hay (timothy and clover, one-lialf eachj and oat straw were of 

 first quality. The meal, fed to the cows and steers, had 14 parts corn meal, 

 4 parts oat meal, and 9 parts wheat bran, by weight. That fed to the bull 

 calves, and also to the Ayrshire steer, during the last six weeks of the experi- 

 ment, was composed of one-third oat meal, one-third oil meal, and one-third 

 wheat bran, by weight. 



Exact notes of the feed given to each animal were kept, and any feed left 

 in the mangers was also carefully noted and removed before the next feeding. 



