182 



Missouri Agricttll iiral Report. 



Perhaps no otlier factor bears a more important relation to the 

 ultimate profits in beef production tlian does the margin between the 

 buying and the selling price, and here, again, it is undoubtedly true 

 that under existing conditions the margin is wider on mature thin 

 cattle than upon more fleshy young animals. The thinner the animals 

 the less competition exists between buyers of feeder cattle and the butch- 

 ers. In the case of fat or half fat animals the feeder must compete with 

 the killer, and, therefore, will always pay a relatively higher price for 

 half fat than for thin animals. 



We must conclude, therefore, that the amount of grain required 

 to make a pound of gain is not an accurate measure of profitable cattle 

 feeding. It is also reasonable to assume from the facts herein discussed 

 that it may often happen that larger profits will result from the feeding 

 of mature thin cattle than from feeding younger animals. 



Table 5 records the average amount of grain, weights and gains 

 made by all the cattle of all ages in our summer feeding experiments. 

 This table is not to be regarded as a final answer to the question as to 

 the relative efficiency of cattle of different ages because, as already ex- 

 plained, it is impossible to eliminate the other factors which have a 

 marked influence upon the meat producing qualities of animals. 



The table is interesting, however, and shows that yearlings require 

 less grain to make a pound of gain than do older animals. They likewise 

 require a smaller total amount of grain to make them fat. It must be 

 said, however, that in all of these experiments the yearling cattle did 

 not attain to the same degree of fatness as did the more mature animals. 



TABLE 5. 



MISSOURI CATTLE FEEDING EXPERIMENTS— INFLUENCE OF AGE— SUMMER 

 FEEDING —AVERAGE OF ALL EXPERIMENTS. 



Thirty-six Experiments witli 262 Cattle. 



Yearlings. 



Number of experiments 



Number of animals used 



Average number of days fed 



Average grain fed to each lot 



Average pounds grain fed per day and head 



Bushels of corn necessary to make each animal fat 



Corn fed lots 



Average daily gain 



Total gain necessary to make animals fat 



Weight of cattle at beginning of experiment 



Grain eaten daily per 1000 lbs. live weight 



Grain for one pound gain 



Average weight during experiment 



Two-year- 

 olds. 



Three-year- 

 olds. 



8 

 51 

 179.12 

 4104 lbs. 

 22.91 lbs. 



71 bu. 



2.44 lbs. 



438 lbs. 



1304 lbs. 



15.03 lbs. 



9.36 lbs. 



1524.8 lbs. 



