ANIMAL PRODUCTION, 369 



fFeeding- experiments], W. P. flAMisLK and G. E. Day (Aim. Rpt. Ontario 

 Ayr. Col. and Expt. Farm. .1} (WOS). pp. ,SS-.93, 1 .',2-1 .',i) . figs. /,).— Diirestion 

 experiments are I'oported witli oat dust, bark'y dust, forii, and wheat l)ran, 

 using two steers. 



The oat dust was fed 5 days, and tliou.iili the stcors lost in weiijht they ap- 

 peared in perfect liealtli. Tlie averai^e percentages dis:;ested were as follows: 

 I'roteiu (in.D^, fat 74.01, nitrofjjen-free extract OO-Tn, crude fiber 29.11. The 

 barley dust was fed days; tiie steers lost weijilit and neitlier of tlieni ap- 

 peared to thrive. Tlie average percentages digested were protein .'"»'.>..S2, fat 

 G0.2, nitrogen-free extract 5(>.J>S, crude tiber '>2.74. Corn meal was fed 8 days 

 and botli animals retained good health. Tlie average percentages digested 

 were protein - 79.81, fat 94.8, nitrogen-free extract 88.48, fiber 83.92. The 

 wheat bran w'as fed 5 days, and the average percentages digested were protein 

 75.18, fat 06.47, niti'ogen-free extract 7.5.90, tiber 50.75. 



"The corn meal was made by grinding whole corn and sold f. o. b. at the mill 

 for .$19 per ton. Barley dust contains all the hulls of barley, and our expei'iment 

 shows it to be very high in crude tiber. For feeding purposes alone it is worth 

 $5.25 per ton less than wheat bran and .$2.25 per ton less than oat dust. 

 Nevertheless it sells readily for $1S per ton. Oat dust, on the other hand, 

 sells for $S ])er ton and is worth for feeding purposes alone, when conii)ared 

 with bran, $17 per ton. 



"These facts lead us to conclude: First, that the prices charged for by-prod- 

 ucts from the mills are no indication of their actual feed value; second, that 

 the by-products from different mills must vary greatly in com])osition, and in 

 many cases the market price is set from the inferior article." 



The analyses and fertilizing value of the feeds are also given. 



Experiments comparing the relative merits of short and long periods of 

 feeding, noted in previous years (E. S. R., 19, p. 1109), were continued. The 

 basal ration was ground barley, bran, hay, straw, roots, and silage. Eight 

 steers fed for 77 days made an average daily gain per head of 2.25 lbs., whereas 

 a similar lot fed for 168 days made an average daily gain per head of 2 lbs. 

 The short-fed steers have returned higher prices for meal consumed in each 

 of the experiments for the past three years than have the long-fed steers. 



" So far as these results go, they indicate that steers which can be finished 

 with about 2 months of feeding, may give fairly satisfactory returns with a 

 spread of i ct. per pound between the buying and selling prices; but with 

 steers which have to be fed 5 or 6 months, the feeder is hardly safe with a 

 spread of less than 1^ cts. per pound. 



" The marked advantage of the short keep over the long keep steers is due 

 to two things: (1) The greater original weight of the short keep steer, upon 

 which the owner gets the advantage of the spread between the buying and 

 selling price per pound; (2) the smaller amount of expensive meat which it 

 is necessary for the owner to put upon the short keep steer to maki^ him tit for 

 the market." 



An experiment was m;ide in feeding loose v. tietl steers and as in three pre- 

 vious experiments the loose steers ate more than tied steers and made larger 

 gains. 



A feeding experiment was made with pigs, lasting 120 days, in which dairy 

 by-products were compared. The basal ration consisted of a grain mixture of 

 barley, frozen wheat, and middlings. The group fed skim milk as a supple- 

 mentary feed made an aA'erage daily gain per pig of 1.30 ll)s. With buttermilk 

 as a supplementary ration the corres])onding gain was 1.2;> lbs., with ordinary 

 whey 1.16 lbs., and with separated whey 1.07 lbs. With water and the basal 

 ration the gain was 0.7 lb. 



