380 BULLETIN 91 



per ton; follow down the column marked silage at $8 per ton until 

 the milo column marked $40 a ton is reached; follow down from here 

 to the figure opposite cottonseed meal at $80 per ton, and the sum of 

 $18.67 is found. This amount is the cost of 100 pounds of gain if 

 the above prices are used and gains are made the same as the steers 

 in Lot VI. Other combinations of feeds and prices are found in the 

 same manner. Thus alfalfa hay at $12 per ton, silage at $6 and cotton- 

 seed meal at $60 a ton will cost $11.25 to make 100 pounds of gain 

 at the rate made by the steers in Lot IIL Where alfalfa hay alone 

 is fed, the cost of 100 pounds of gain is about the same as the cost 

 per ton of the hay. 



Table X has been given to supply a ready reference to cattle 

 feeders. It is believed that it will give a close approximation of the 

 costs of making 100 pounds gain in steers with any of the six rations 

 used in this test. Before beginning the feeding operations, it would 

 be wise to compare the ruling prices of feeds with this table to ascertain 

 whether to feed or not. It almost always costs more to make cattle 

 gain in live weight than one can secure for the finished animals. 

 With a two cent margin over a short feeding period one can expect 

 the cost of gains to be two to four cents per pound greater than the 

 fat cattle will bring. 



In order to give a brief summary of the test which will enable 

 one to follow the data from the lots fed in the six different ways and 

 make a comparison of them a complete summary is presented in 

 Table XL Some secondary factors of interest to stockmen are found 

 in this table. Among these may be mentioned: (1) amount of feed 

 cattle will consume; (2) rate of gain made by steers; (3) feed required 

 per pound gain; (4) dry matter, total digestible nutrients, and therms 

 consumed per 100 pounds gain; (,S) cost of gains in live weight; (6) 

 margin in cattle feeding; (7) length of time required to finish cattle 

 for market; and (8) dressed percentage of cattle as affected by the 

 different rations. 



AMOUNT OF FEED CATTLE WILL CONSUME 



According to the results obtained in this test, steers weighing 

 891 pounds will consume an average of 28.63 pounds of alfalfa hay 

 per day. For the same length of time a similar animal, when given 

 free choice of alfalfa hay and silage, will consume 8.99 pounds of the 

 former and 47.14 pounds of the latter. When steers are given a 

 limited amount of concentrated feed along with roughage consisting 

 of silage or alfalfa hay or both, the amount of roughage consumed will 



