EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 117 



KEPORT OF LIVE STOCK EXPERIMENTATION. 



Director C. D. Smith, College: 



Dear Sir: — During the fiscal j-ear ending June 30th, 1907, the following 

 bulletins relating to live stock investigation were issued from the farm 

 department, viz.: No. 240, entitled ^'Roots Supplimentary to Silage for 

 Dairy Cows;" 241, "'A Plan for the Improvement of Michigan Cattle"; 

 242, ''Feeding Whole Grain;" 243, Cull Beans as a Food for Swine;" 

 245, "Poultry Raising, and 247 Beet Pulp for Fattening Cattle." The 

 data upon which these publications are based was secured through the 

 expenditure of Experiment Station, Special Live Stock and Farm De- 

 partment Appropriations. 



Throughout this year the investigations relating to the (jradc dairij 

 herd was continued. In this work two objects are being sought, first, 

 to determine what good feeding, care and management will do to in- 

 crease the productiveness and profits from these common cattle over 

 and above the average returns received throughout the state, and second, 

 to see what results can be secured through a system of up-grading, or the 

 continuous use of the same pure blood on each succeeding generation. 

 The first annual report of the results from this herd was issued as 

 bulletin No. 338, dated May, 1906. The results of the second years 

 work is complete and the third year is in progress; it is the intention 

 to issue the results of these two years work together. 



The first years results from the grade heef herd are complete, and 

 the animals of this group are well along in the second year. The object 

 in this case is to determine the cost of beef production by two methods, 

 viz.: In the first group there are ten cows whose calves suckle them 

 throughout the entire period of lactation receiving the necessary sup- 

 plementary food in addition. The cost of these young beeves at 1000 lbs. 

 weight is determined by charging against them all the food consumed 

 plus the food and keep of the dams for twelve months following the 

 birth date. On the other hand the ten cows are milked, and after the 

 removal of the fat from the whole milk the skim milk is fed to the calves 

 along with supplementary food. A record is made of the cost of keep 

 of the cow for the year and her account is credited with the butterfat 

 produced. The cost of producing the skim milk calf is recorded until 

 it attains a weight .of 1000 lbs. According to the original plans this 

 work is not to i)e reported on until the end of the third year, in order 

 to secure general averages that will be reliable. 



For the past three years individual records of the cost of producing 

 calves from birth to twelve months of age have lieen secured until about 

 fifty are now on file. These records include calves of both beef and 

 dairy classes. It is intended to report the methods employed and results 

 secured as soon as the work with the present group under experiment is 

 complete. 



During the past two or three years facilities for carrying on experi- 

 mental work with sheep were lacking, but Avith the addition made to 

 the sheep barn this jear it became possible to again take up the work. 

 The experiment now in progress consists of a test to determine the 



