Results of the Experiment 373 



Although the steers were as nearly alike as possible at the begin- 

 ning of the test, yet the ration given them soon began to prove that 

 the steers in Lot IV were making the most rapid gains and Lot III 

 the slowest. At the end of 77 days the average gain in Lot IV was 

 197 pounds; Lot II, 184 pounds; and Lot III only 151 pounds. The 

 average daily gain was 2.55 pounds in Lot IV, 2.39 pounds, in Lot II 

 and 1.96 pounds in Lot III. The average steer in Lot IV gained .16 

 pound per day more than the average steer in Lot II and .59 pound 

 more than those in Lot III. The steers given all three feeds made 

 the most rapid gains, and those fed on alfalfa hay and silage gained 

 more rapidly than steers given a limited quantity of cottonseed meal 

 and all the silage they would eat. 



Each lot received all the silage they would eat. Lot II ate only 

 47.14 pounds of silage along with 8.99 pounds of alfalfa hay. Lot III 

 consumed most silage, averaging 61.76 pounds per day, along with 

 2.66 pounds of cottonseed meal; and Lot IV ate about a pound less 

 of silage per day than Lot III, the same quantity of cottonseed meal, 

 and in addition 4.20 pounds of alfalfa hay. Owing to the small gains 

 made by the steers in Lot III, and the large gains by the animals in 

 Lot IV, relatively less feed and nutrients were required to produce 

 an equal gain in weight in Lot IV than in Lot III. The steers in 

 Lot II seemed to make better use of their feed than those in Lot IV, 

 except in the total amount of dry matter required to produce 100 

 pounds gain. The cost of 100 pounds gain was lowest in Lot II, 

 averaging $12.58; highest in Lot III, being $18.03; and Lot IV ranked 

 between the other two, costing an average of $15.73. The steers in 

 Lot IV made the largest gain, but at the highest feed cost. These 

 steers were much fatter than those in the other lots and were valued 

 at a higher price at the end of the test. The difference in the condi- 

 tion of the cattle in Lot IV and the greater gain in weight did not 

 overcome the more efTective utilization and the lower feed cost of 

 the steers in Lot II, so that the steers in this lot made a profit of 35 

 cents per head, while those in Lot IV lost an average of $1.19 per head. 

 The ration in Lot III was decidedly inferior to that in Lots II and IV, 

 for the average steer in Lot III lost more money than the entire six 

 steers in Lot IV. The necessary selling price per 100 pounds at the 

 end of the 77 days, in order to break even without gain or loss, was 

 $10.72 for Lot II, $11.31 for Lot IV, and $11.45 for Lot III. These 

 selling prices are based on a cost price of $10 per hundred for the 

 feeders, the cost of the feeds consumed, the interest on the money 



