386 



Bulletin 91 



KIND OF CATTLE TO FEED 



A study was made of the steers in this experiment to determine 

 the effect of size on the rate of gain and length of time required to 

 finish them. The steers were classified into large, medium, and 

 small sizes. The basis of this classification was the size of the frames 

 and the conformation of the animals. The animals varied imper- 

 ceptibly from large to medium and from medium to small ; and it was 

 extremely difficult to secure a different standard for these different 

 groups. As a rule the large steers weighed more than those in either 

 of the other groups. There were twenty steers in the large sized 

 group and eight in each of the other groups. 



At the end of the test the steers were classified according to their 

 condition. The fullness of the cods, and the thickness and covering 

 of flesh over the body and flanks were used as a basis in estimating 

 the condition of the steers. The animals were grouped by this 

 method into fat, medium, and thin classes. None of the steers, 

 however, were prime, so that the term fat is of relative importance 

 indicating that group was among the more fleshy ones in the experi- 

 ment. Table XIII gives the number and percentage of the animals 

 of different sizes, finishing fat, medium, and thin. 



TABLE XIII.— CONDITION OF THE ANIMALS AS AFFECTED BY SIZE 



There was a tendency for the large animals to become fat more 

 rapidly than the small ones; but a greater percentage of the medium- 

 sized steers was fat at the end of the test than of any of the other 

 groups. None of the medium-sized steers were considered thin at 

 the end of the experiment. 



The steers were grouped into three classes according to the amount 

 of gain made. Group I was called "Good" and contained steers 

 which gained from 170 to 343 pounds. Steers in the "Medium" 



