1918.] 



ANIMAL PRODUCTrOlT. 



669 



Lot 1, bush shelter, made an average daily gain of 1.63 lbs. at a cost of 13.81 

 cts. per pound ; lot 2, open corral, 1.6 lbs. at 13.92 cts. ; lot 3, corral and open 

 shed, 1.72 lbs. at 13.07 cts. ; lot 4, stable, with addition of silage to ration, 1.56 

 lbs. at 11.75 cts. ; and lot 5, stable, with addition of roots to ration, 1.72 

 lbs. at 10.77 cts. 



In the Lethbridge (Alta.) section, where alfalfa is the principal field crop 

 and stock raising has not progressed to the point where all the feed is utilized 

 locally, the problem of disposing of the alfalfa hay is an important one. An 

 experiment was carried out to determine the advisability of feeding alfalfa 

 together with some other roughage. 



Three lots of 21 steers each were fed as follows: Lot 1, alfalfa hay; lot 

 2, alfalfa hay and green oat sheaves, 3 :1 ; and lot 3, alfalfa hay and dry corn 

 fodder, 3 :1. Of this roughage the steers were fed all they would clean up 

 well, and in addition they were given small quantities of equal parts of 

 crushed oats and barley. With alfalfa hay, valued at $10, green oat sheaves 

 $10, dry-corn fodder $5, and crushed barley and oats .$20 per ton, lot 1 made 

 an avenige daily gain per head of 1.4 lbs. at a cost per pound of 13 cts.; lot 

 2, 1.6 lbs. at 12 cts ; and lot 3, 1.2 lbs. at 14 cts. The average net profit per steer 

 was $2.31, $4.65, and $1.27, respectively, for the three lots. It is thought that 

 it pays to feed some other roughage with alfalfa as it gives variety to the 

 ration and the animals eat more and make greater gains. 



On December 1, 1915, an experiment was begun at Lacombe, Alta., with 197 

 yearling and two-year-old steers and heifers in testing the value of various 

 hays and fodders as roughage. The animals were fed the same grain ration 

 consisting of equal amounts of oats and barley well ground. The results were 

 as follows : 



Beef-feeding experiments imih various roughages. 



Lot. 



Roughage. 



Number 

 of steers. 



Average 

 daily 



gain per 

 steer. 



Cost per 

 pound 

 of gain. 



Profit 

 per steer. 



I 



II.... 

 III... 

 IV... 



v.... 



Prairie hay 



Prairie hay and oat straw 



Prairie hay and green sheaves. 



Green sheaves 



Timothy and alsike hay 



20 

 118 

 19 

 20 

 20 



Lbs. 

 1. 756 



.762 

 1.508 

 1.220 



.921 



as. 



8.57 

 17.52 

 11.09 

 13. .36 

 20.70 



$13.06 

 9.01 

 10.56 



The animals in lot 1 made fair gains, were consistent steady feeders, and 

 were well finished at the close. Those in lot 2, fed hay and straw in separate 

 racks, ate the hay but neglected the straw. The animals in lot 4 were off feed 

 at times due to scouring. Those in lot 5 were well finished. 



Silage for beef cattle investigations (Kansas Sta. Rpt. 1916, p. 20). — In the 

 fourth trial with yearling beeves, those receiving a ration of ground corn, cot- 

 tonseed meal, and alfalfa and silage as roughage showed more finish and bloom 

 and dressed out a higher percentage but with a gi-eater cost per unit of gain 

 than those on other rations. Corn-and-cob meal made slower but cheaper gains 

 than ground corn, while Kafir corn meal put on slower gains at a still lower 

 cost. Where corn can not be secured at a reasonable price, Kafir corn seems 

 to make a good substitute. Cattle fed no silage made the greatest gains and 

 showed almost as much bloom as the silage lots. 



Russian thistle silag'e for the maintenamce of range cattle (New Mexico 

 Sta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 74, 75). — A small cement silo was filled with silage made 

 from Russian thistles of various stages of maturity varying in height from 1.5 



