564 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.36 



full feed. The velvet beans and potis were ground coarse for two weeks but 

 after this they were fed unground, both the unground and ground velvet beans 

 being mixed with the silage. 



The steers on cottonseed meal consumed 2.58 lbs. of meal and 24.09 lbs. of 

 silage per pound of gain and gained 1.6 lbs per head daily at a cost of 7.52 

 cts. per pound of gain. Those on velvet beans consumed 6.36 lbs. of beans and 

 16.55 lbs. of silage per pound of gain and gained 1.5 lbs. per head daily, the cost 

 per pound of gain being 7.77 cts. In this test cottonseed meal was valued at 

 $35, velvet beans $18, and corn silage $2.50 per ton. It is estimated that 1 lb. 

 of cotton-seed meal was equal to 2.5 lbs. velvet beans in pods for these steers. 



Cattle feeding. — XII, Winter steer feeding, 1915-16, J. H. Skinner and 

 F. G. King {Indiana Sta. Bui. 191 {1916), pp. 35; pop. ed., pp. 8). — In the ex- 

 periments reported in this bulletin, which are in continuation of those already 

 noted (E. S. R., 35, p. 475), the cattle and the feed were both of poor quality, 

 and as a result the gains were below normal. 



Seven lots of 10 steers each were fed for 150 days, all the lots receiving 

 shelled corn, and all except lot 6, 2.5 lbs. of cottonseed meal per 1.000 lbs. 

 live weight in addition to the supplements given in the table below. Each lot 

 of cattle contained 10 hogs. All of the hogs received corn in addition to drop- 

 pings from the cattle, and 5 hogs in each of lots 2, 3, and 4 received a small 

 quantity of shorts and tankage. 



In a comparison of corn silage and leguminous hay v. leguminous hay for 

 fattening steers, involving lots 2, 3, 4, and 7, it was found that corn silage in the 

 ration reduced the amount of corn required and practically replaced the 

 hay. Only about 2.5 lbs. of hay per head daily was consumed by the lots on 

 silage. With clover hay as roughage replaced by 14.2 lbs. of corn silage there 

 was a saving of 1.5 lbs. of corn and 5.6 lbs. of hay on every pound of gain. 

 With alfalfa hay as roughage there was a saving of 1.91 lbs. of corn and 4.97 

 lbs. of hay by the use of 13.11 lbs. of silage. 



In a comparison of clover hay v. alfalfa hay as roughage for fattening steers, 

 involving lots 2, 3, 4, and 7, the results indicate that for all practical purposes 

 these two hays are of equal worth when furnishing the only roughage. How- 

 ever, when both hay and silage were fed, the steers receiving alfalfa hay ex- 

 celled those receiving clover hay in every factor except in pork production. 



A limited feed of corn was compared with a full feed of corn for fattening 

 cattle, involving lots 1 and 4. Lot 1 received the following amounts of shelled 

 corn per steer daily : First month none, second month 5 lbs., third month 7 lbs., 

 fourth month 8 lbs., and tifth month 9 lbs. Lot 4 received all the shelled corn 

 they would eat. The average difference in corn consumption for the two lots 

 during the entire period was 4.01 lbs. per steer daily. Lot 1 consumed 3.09 

 lb.s. of clover hay and 33.01 lbs of silage, as compared with 2.04 lbs. of clover 

 hay and 28.64 lbs. of silage for lot 4. Limiting the amount of corn saved 

 1.84 lbs. of corn on each pound of gain made by the cattle, this being replaced 

 by 0.06 lb. of cottonseed meal, 0.6 lb. of clover hay, and 2.9G lbs. of silage. 



In a comparison of cane feeding molasses v. proprietary molasses feetl as 

 supplements to rations for fattening cattle, involving lots 4, 5, and 6, it was 

 found that the substitution of a small quantity of molasses for an equal quantity 

 of corn increased the appetites of the steers, especially during the latter part 

 of the feeding period. The increase of tVed consumption was mostly of corn 

 silage, the average amount of silage eaten per steer daily being 4 lbs. more 

 when molasses was used. The substitution of proprietary molasses feed for cot- 

 tonseetl meal caused only a slightly larger feed consumption on the part of the 

 cattle. 



