174 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Fattening cattle on blue grass pasture, F. B. Mumfoed {Missouri 8ta. BuL 

 90, pp. 289-38S, figs. 5). — A report of a 5-year series of tests in steer feeding in 

 cooperation witli tliis Department. 



Tlie steers used were liigli grade but not pure bred. The number in eacb lot 

 fed varied from 6 to 10, and in all over 300 bead were fed. The length of the 

 feeding period was usually about 210 days, but in 1907 it was only 147 days. 

 The following scale of prices was used for computing the financial statement : 

 Shelled corn 40 cts. per bushel ; linseed meal $28, cottonseed meal $24, and 

 gluten feed $22 per ton ; and pasture, yearlings 60 cts. and older cattle 75 cts. 

 per head per month. 



The following table shows the average daily gains and cost per pound gained 

 with the different rations : 



Ex-perimcnts in fattening cattle on grain and blue-grass pasture. 



Year. 



Age. 



1903. 

 1903- 

 1903. 

 1903. 

 1904. 

 1904. 

 1904. 

 1904. 

 1905. 

 1905. 

 1905. 

 1905. 

 1906. 

 1906. 

 1906. 

 1906. 

 1907. 

 1907. 

 1907. 

 1907. 

 1904. 

 1904. 

 1904. 

 1904. 

 1906. 

 1906. 

 1906. 

 1906. 

 1905. 

 1905. 

 1905. 

 1905. 

 1907. 

 1907. 

 1907. 

 1907. 



Yearlings . . . 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



do 



do 



....do 



....do 



do 



....do 



....do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



2-year-olds . 



... .do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



3-year-olds . 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



Ration. 



Com 



Com and linseed meal 3:1 



Corn and cotton-seed meal 



Com and gluten feed 3:1 



Corn alone 



Corn ad lib., linseed meal 3 pounds daily 



Corn ad lib. , cotton-seed meal 3 pounds daily 



Corn ad lib., gluten feed 3 pounds daily 



Corn alone 



Corn ad lib., linseed meal 3 pounds daily 



Com ad lib., cotton-seed meal 3 pounds daily 



Com ad lib., gluten feed 3 pounds daily 



Com 



Com and linseed meal 7:1 



Com and cotton-seed meal 7:1 



Corn alone 5 months, corn and linseed meal 7:1 2 months 



Com 



Corn and linseed meal 3:1 



Com and linseed meal 6:1 



Com and cotton-seed meal 6:1 



Com alone 



Com ad lib., and linseed meal 3 pounds daily 



Com ad lib., and cotton-seed meal 3 pounds daily 



Com ad lib., and gluten feed 3 pounds daily 



Com alone 



Com and linseed meal 7:1 



Com and cotton-seed meal 7:1 



Cornalone5 months; corn and linseed meal 7:1 last 60 days 



Corn alone 



Com ad lib., linseed meal 3 pounds daily 



Corn ad lib. , cotton-seed meal 3 pounds daily 



Com ad lib. , gluten feed 3 pounds daily 



Corn alone 



Corn and linseed meal 3:1 



Com and linseed meal 6:1 



Com and cotton-seed meal 6:1 



daily 

 gain. 



Pounds. 

 2.16 

 2.50 

 2.30 

 2.26 

 2.12 

 2.37 

 2.15 

 2.10 

 2.01 

 2.27 

 2.14 

 2.12 

 1.86 

 2.20 

 2.10 

 2.14 

 1.97 

 1.86 

 2.07 

 2.03 

 2.33 

 2.65 

 2.57 

 2.48 

 2.63 

 2.70 

 2.72 

 2.78 

 1.87 

 2.23 

 2.00 

 2.29 

 2.69 

 2.76 

 3.41 

 3.09 



Cost 



per 



pound 



of gain. 



Cents. 

 6.17 

 7.36 

 6.77 

 6.96 

 6.26 

 7.30 

 7.15 

 7.14 

 6.18 

 6.83 

 6.96 

 6.84 

 6.35 

 6.49 

 6.58 

 6.19 

 7.81 

 8.97 

 8.09 

 7.97 

 6.95 

 7.67 

 7.70 

 7.61 

 6.47 

 6.51 

 6.59 

 6.27 

 8.54 

 8.17 

 8.83 

 7.62 

 8.21 

 9.60 

 7.76 

 7.95 



Grain 

 eaten 

 per 

 pound 

 of gain. 



Pounds, 

 7.36 

 5.57 

 5.31 

 5.64 

 7.45 

 6.56 

 6.37 

 6.49 

 7.26 

 7.06 

 ■ 7.48 

 7.50 

 7.40 

 6.95 

 7.25 

 7.09 

 9.48 

 8.91 

 8.76 

 8.89 

 8.24 

 8.33 

 8.63 

 8.59 

 7.73 

 6.96 

 7.31 

 7.28 

 10.09 

 8.58 

 9.59 

 8.41 

 10.17 

 10.42 

 8.96 

 9.11 



The results of the five years' work show that in general the gains were more 

 uniform and a better finish was obtained when corn was supplemented with 

 other grain. The fatter the animal the more efficient were the supplemented 

 rations, and hence it was profitable to feed a limited amount of nitrogenous 

 supplement during the later stages of the feeding period. Though young cattle 

 made faster gains with nitrogenous supplements, the increase was not sufficient 

 in most cases to make it profitable. 



Tho influence of bedding on gains in steers, B. Tacke {Oldenhurg. Landw. 

 Bl., 58 {1910), No. J,0, pp. Ji37--'iS9; ahs. in Zenthl. Agr. Chem-., 1,0 {1911), No. 2, 

 pp. 99-101). — In a number of tests with steers those which were bedded with 



