17S 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



TABLE 2. 



INFLUENCE OF CONDITION— AVERAGE GRAIN REQUIRED FOR ONE POUND 



OF GAIN. 



Corn. 



Corn and 



linseed oil 



meal. 



Corn and 



cottonseed 



meal. 



Corn and 

 gluten feed. 



Average for four years 



(1903, '04, "05 and '06.) 

 Average of 1907 



7.37 lbs. 



9 . 48 lbs. 



7.31 lbs. 



8.83 lbs. 



7.39 lbs. 



8.89 lbs. 



7 . 64 lbs. 



It will be seen from this table that in 1907 the corn ration re- 

 quired more grain for each pound of gain than did the supplemented 

 rations. The explanation of this variation in the results for the years 

 mentioned is that the yearlings fed in 1907 had already been on full feed 

 six months when they were turned to grass on the first day of May. 

 They were therefore in much higher condition throughout the summer 

 feeding period than were the cattle of any other previous year. It has 

 already been shown that the supplemented rations are more efficient 

 during the later stages of the feeding period. The conclusion seems to 

 be justified, therefore, that with thin yearling cattle, full fed on blue grass 

 pasture for a period of six or seven months, corn is as efficient from the 

 standpoint of the amount of grain required to make one pound of gain 

 as are the supplemented rations. Cattle already half fat make more 

 economical gains on corn supplemented with linseed oil meal or cotton- 

 seed meal than on corn alone. 



In practice, corn alone fed to yearlings on blue grass pasture will 

 prove as efficient as corn supplemented by linseed oil meal, cottonseed 

 meal or gluten feed for the production of cattle that would grade on the 

 market as good to choice. For the production of prime cattle it would 

 appear from these results that the addition of linseed oil meal to the 

 ration either for the entire period or for the last three months of the 

 fattening period will be a profitable practice. 



THE EFFICIENCY OF RATIONS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE FATTENING 



PERIOD. 



The amount of grain required to make a pound of gain varies con- 

 siderably at different stages of the fattening period. This is particular- 

 ly true in the summer feeding experiments. It will be observed from 

 an examination of Table 3 that in general the amount of grain required 

 to make a pound of gain is least in May, June and July. The average 



