484 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD. 



seed hulls, no other coarse fodder being fed. They were sold for slaughtering at 4.75 

 cents per pound live weight. The average weight of the grade steers was 970 lbs. 

 and of the native steers which were a little older 1,067 lbs. The percentage of the 

 different cuts in both lots of steers is recorded. "The native steers dressed 60 per 

 cent.; the grades, 60.4 per cent. The natives made as good gains as the grades and 

 gave as large amounts of the choice cuts." 



In a brief account of a test of the desirability of giving additional feed to calves 

 running with their dams, the authors emphasize the fact that small animals require 

 less feed for maintenance than large ones, and that young animals may be more 

 profitably fed than those which are older and heavier. Four calves 7.5 to about 9 

 months old, weighing on an average 419 lbs., were fed during the winter. The feed 

 consumed by the calves cost $20.07, and that eaten by their dams |36. The average 

 daily gain of the calves was 1.73 lbs. Three calves with their dams, but given no 

 feed in addition, made a daily gain of 1.54 lbs. 



In discussing feeding mider local conditions the authors state that the determi- 

 nationsofthe relative value of feeds at the station "show that a ton of cotton seed will 

 produce al)out one-sixth more beef than a ton of corn, and a ton of cotton-seed meal 

 will produce twice as much. Cowpea hay and Johnson-grass hay are about equal in 

 value. One and a half pounds of corn stover are about equal in value to 1 pound 

 of cowpea hay. The cotton-seed hulls that we have been using this season are nearly 

 equal in value to good Johnson-grass hay — 12 lbs. of the hulls giving as good results 

 as 10 lbs. of hay." 



Regarding pasturage, oats sown in the early fall on cotton land where there was 

 more or less Johnson grass furnished excellent pasturage the following summer for a 

 limited number of cattle. Bermuda and white clover hay in the valley land and 

 lespedeza on the upland have furnished the principal grazing. " Other grasses that 

 have furnished some grazing are redtop, on-hard grass, large water grass, turf oats, 

 and hairy vetch. . . . 



"Some of our young animals have gained as much as 400 lbs. during the grazing 

 period, others have gained from 200 to 300 lbs. Our conditions have not been such 

 as to enable us to determine the average gains that should be gotten during a pasture 

 period, but it should not be less than 200 lbs. for each animal." 



Fattening steers with difiFerent quantities of grain, R. 8. Shaw [Montana 

 8ta. Bui. 35, pp. 15-19). — ^^To study the relative merits of light, medium, and heavy 

 grain rations, supplemented by leguminous hay, 3 lots of steers were fed for 85 days, 

 the experimental period being preceded by a preliminary period of 24 days and fol- 

 lowed by a supplemental period of 14 days. During the latter period the object was 

 simply to maintain the steers in weight until a favorable opportunity occurred for 

 marketing. The preliminary period was necessary in order to get the steers on full 

 feed after dehorning them. Lots 1 and 2 contained 7 animals each, and lot 3 con- 

 tained 8. All the steers were fed clover hay and barley meal, consuming respectively 

 19.3, 19.4, and 19.8 lbs. per head daily of the former, and 5.0, 6.73, and 8.9 lbs. of 

 the latter. At the beginning of the experiment proper the average weight of the 

 steers m the 3 lots was 6,850, 7,240, and 9,080 lbs. The average daily gain per head 

 was 2.33, 2.26, and 2.23 lbs., respectively, the feed eaten per pound of gain being 10.4, 

 11.5, a«d 12.9 lV)s., and the cost of a pound of gain 4, 4.81, and 5.80 cts. The steers 

 were sold at a net profit of .$7.66 per head. According to the authors this sum does 

 not represent the total profit, as the value of the feed was estimated at local market 

 prices which were much above its actual cost. The conclusions drawn follow: 



"Because of the quality of Montana-grown food products and the favorable climatic 

 conditions during the winter feeding period, maximum returns can be secured from 

 a minimum amount of food. In fattening steers, when alfalfa and clover are used, 

 not more that I lb. of grain to the hundredweight of live weight is necessary to pro- 

 duce the most satisfactory results. Contrary to local impressions, some grain must 

 be used throughout a period not less than 120 days in order to get a good finish." 



