ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 483 



scouring and was dropped. The average daily gains with steers was: Lot 1, 2.26 lbs. ; 

 lot 2, 2.21; lot 3, 2.35, and lot 4, 2.52 lbs. The grain eaten per lb. of gain was 7.89, 

 7.71, 7.56, and 6.8 lbs. respectively, and the hay, 4.09, 3.87, 4.01, and 3.45 lbs. 

 respectively. During the period in which soy beans were fed the steers made an 

 average daily gain of 1.16 lbs., 30.79 lbs. of grain and 0.87 lbs. of hay being required 

 per pound of gain. The steers were sold and slaughtered, the dressed weight being on 

 an average 59.3 per cent of the live weight. The yield of fat was 6. 7 percent. "The 

 steers having corn meal made 8.8 percent more gains and ate 7.95 percent less grain 

 and 6.28 per cent less hay than those fed whole corn." The calculated saving in 

 grinding would range, according to the authors, from 1.59 cts. per bushel when corn 

 is worth 20 cts. to 4.77 cts. when it is worth 60 cts. a bushel. 



"The steers fed cut hay made 2.6 per cent more gains and ate 6.08 per cent less 

 grain and 9.63 per cent less hay for each 100 lbs. of gain than those fed whole hay. 

 This indicates that if the feeder has the machinery it will pay to cut the hay, but for 

 a small lot of steers it will not pay to buy cutting machinery to be used only for 

 cutting hay for the steers." 



The authors believe that grinding grain and mixing it with cut hay is of benefit 

 since the animals spend more time in chewing the feed, and that owing to this and 

 its mechanical condition it is in a more favorable form for digestion. Scouring was 

 not observed with this method of feeding. 



"One of the writers of this bulletin has just inspected 270 head of year-old calves 

 that were being forced for baby beef. These calves were eating 3 lbs. of cotton-seed 

 meal each per day, in addition to a heavy ration of corn meal. The grain was 

 thoniuglily mixed with cut alfalfa hay when put in the feed boxes. Not a single calf 

 was found that showed any signs of looseness, and the droppings were of the most 

 desirable character. An inspection of 1,800 head of fattening steers that were being 

 rapidly forced for 100 days' feeding showed the same condition of bowels — no scour- 

 ing, and normal condition of the droppings. . . . 



"Feeders on this high-priced land will have to do what manufacturers have 

 already done — more thoroughly utilize the materials which they handle. With the 

 old methods, a large portion of the corn was not digested by the steer, and this kept 

 him in an unhealthful condition. The old methods gave 4.5 to 5.5 lbs. of gain from a 

 bushel of corn. The best method vised in this experiment gave more than 8 lbs. of 

 gain per bushel of corn." 



In discussing the substitution of alfalfa hay for other hav the authors have found 

 that "when stock has not been accustomed to eating alfalfa hay, full feeding of it 

 induces scours. We usually take 30 days to get either horses, steers, or dairy cows 

 on full feed of alfalfa hay, and when this is done there is no trouble in feeding it. 

 While getting stock on full feed of alfalfa, either prairie or timothy hay or straw may 

 be fed." 



Beef cattle, W. L. Hutchinson and E. R. Lloyd (Mi.mssippi Sla. Bui. 76, pp. 24, 

 figs. 19). — Data are given regarding the station herd, the cost of feed for cows and 

 calves, the value of the calves fed, characteristics of the breeds of cattle kept, the 

 value of the manure with especial reference to the cotton-seed products eaten, and 

 related topics. The station herd has been kept on a pasture some 7 months of the 

 year and fed during the winter, from 135 to 150 days principally on cotton-seed meal 

 and hulls. The calves have been allowed to run with their dams and to have all the 

 milk as soon as they could drink it. Provided the pasture is good "it is an easy 

 matter to have the calves weigh over 500 lbs. when they are 12 months old." The 

 average weight of 5 steer calves 1 year old was 589 lbs. and of 5 heifer calves 525 ll)s. 



To compare the influence of breeding upon profita))le feeding 2 grade Angus calves 

 and 2 native calves were given the same treatment until 2 years old. During the 

 summers they were pastured, running with their dams the first year. They were 

 finished on a mixture of cotton-seed meal and corn chop, supplemented by cotton- 



13507— No. 5—03 6 



