1918] 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



273 



minimum ration are reported. The first trial, made from December, 1915, to 

 May, 1916, covered 133 days, the second, from December, 191G, to May, 1917, 

 covered 130 days. The feeders were of good grade bought on the Kansas City 

 market, and after fattening were sold on the Chicago market. The lots in the 

 first trial consisted of G steers each, those in the second trial of 8 each. The 

 feeding gains and profits are shown in the following table : 



Results of fattening steers on corn silage with and xoitliout shelled corn. 



Average daily ration per steer: 



Shelled corn lbs.. 



Cottonseed meal do. 



Linseed oil meal do. 



Com silage do. 



Alfalfa hay do. 



Average daily gain per steer, 



pounds 



Gain made by hogs per steer, 



pounds 



Cost of feed per steer 



Cost per 100 lbs. gain made by 

 cattle (gain by hogs 18 per 



100 lbs.) 



Dressed beef per cent. . 



Shrinkage per head in ship- 

 ping lbs.. 



Net profit per steer 



First trial. 



^otl. 



15. 60 



l\00 



17.47 

 3.69 



38.60 

 J40.85 



$10. 42 

 03.53 



Lot 2. 



2.54 

 16.47 

 2.27 



51.10 

 138. 03 



SIO. 58 

 64.19 



39.44 

 ?9.32 



Lots. 



36.22 

 3.00 



■6.40 

 $26. 07 



SIO. 15 

 02.38 



43.11 



S9.S7 



Lot 4. 



5.05 



37.62 



4.03 



2.38 



3.10 



S27. 44 



S8.57 

 61.33 



39.71 

 $14. 56 



Lot 5. 



16.26 

 3.90 



2.20 



36.33 



S33. 88 



$10.88 

 62.58 



30.00 

 $10.53 



Second trial. 



Lotl. 



16.71 



2.78 



29.74 

 3.25 



3.03 



84.95 

 880. 01 



$19. 01 

 60.60 



Lot 2. 



2.85 

 30.08 

 3.78 



3.26 



106. 58 

 S88. 25 



Lots. 



4.35 



47.97 

 5.69 



2.40 



1.78 

 $44.79 



S17.55 $14.28 

 61.10 59.30 



55.70 40.41 I 71.25 

 i$0.01 SIO. 07 ,$11.59 



Lot 4. 



4.35 

 49.41 

 5.82 



2.46 



5.16 

 545. 71 



$14.06 

 58.40 



56.58 

 $15. 62 



Lots. 



16.92 



25.93 

 3.94 



2.64 



66.50 

 $77. 12 



$19. 68 

 60.50 



44.70 

 $0.52 



1 Loss. 



The results obtained in the above trials were based on the following prices: 

 First trial, feeders $7.64 per 100 lbs., corn 70 cts. per bushel, corn silage $4.50 

 per ton, cottonseed meal and linseed oil meal $37 per ton, and alfalfa hay $14 

 per ton ; second trial, feeders $8.45 per 100 lbs., corn $1.50 per bushel, corn 

 silage $8.50 per ton, cottonseed meal and linseed oil meal $45 per ton, and 

 alfalfa hay $15 per ton. 



The records for lots 3 and 4 (without shelled corn) indicate the possibility 

 of fattening from three to four steers per acre with corn fed as silage. While 

 the average daily gain was not so large as when shelled corn was added to 

 this ration it was satisfactory. The value of protein concentrates was shown 

 by the record for lot 4, which produced gains at the lowest cost. Lot 3, with 

 cottonseed meal in the ration, came second. The linseed meal ration, as com- 

 pared with the cottonseed meal rations, showed a greater net profit per steer, 

 and the gain made by hogs following the cattle was also greater. The results 

 indicate that the difference in the market price of the cattle was not sufllcient 

 to justify the feeding of shelled corn in the first trial, but in the second it was 

 justified with corn at $1 per bushel and silage at $6 per ton, but not with $1.50 

 corn and $8.50 silage. 



The results of the two trials indicate that it is ordinarily advisable to add 

 a high protein concentrate to a ration of shelled corn, corn silage, and alfalfa 

 hay for fattening cattle. 



Kentucky's opportunities as a sheep State, L. B. Mann {Kentucky Sta. 

 Circ. 18 {1917), pp. 107-116, fig. 1). — Attention is called to the promi.sing out- 

 look in sheep husbandry brought about by the great decrease in flocks all 

 over the world. In Kentucky during the past year there was a decrease of 

 77,000 head, and since 1913, a decrease of 165,000 head, or 12^ per cent of the 

 total. 



