ANIMAL PEODUCTION. 



69 



From extensive hog-feeding tests nt Fort Hays it was concluded that "it is 

 more profitable to full-feed hogs of medium age and weight (125 lbs.) for a 

 short period (75 days) than to fuU-feetl old or very young hogs for a long 

 period. Hogs following cattle require less grain than when fed in separate 

 pens, even though the cattle are fed ground grain. The addition of a few sugar 

 beets to a Kafir corn ration is advisable. It reduces the amount of grain and 

 the cost per pound of gain while it increases the average daily gain of the hogs. 

 Kafir corn and milo maize when fed with the proper concentrates are satisfac- 

 tory feeds for fattening liogs." 



A brief review of other tests (E. S. 11.. 30, p. 5G9) is also given. 



Raising and fattening beef calves in Alabama, D. T. Gray and W. F. Ward 

 {Alabama Col. Sta. Bui. 177 {19U), pp. 71-83, figs. 2).— The experiments here 

 reported were made in cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry of 

 this Department, and are in continuation of earlier work (E. S. R., 25, p. 72). 

 From a herd of 80 grade Aberdeen Angus cows 64 spring calves were raised, 

 which ran with their mothers until late fall when they were weaned and pre- 

 pared for the fattening period. When the calves were 9* months old they had 

 attained an average weight of 4G0 lbs. and cost $14.36 each. This cost includes 

 the cost of feed, for both cows and calves, interest on money investetl, rent on 

 pasture, taxes, deiireciation on value of herd, etc. 



Forty-nine of these calves averaging 456 lbs. each were placed in the feed 

 lot in January and fed for 73 days, receiving daily 4.4 lbs. cotton-seed meal, 

 23.9 lbs. corn silage, and 2.76 lbs. broom-sedge hay per head. They made an 

 average daily gain of 1.37 lbs. per head, requiring 3.23 lbs. of cotton-seed meal, 

 17.41 lbs. corn silage, and 2.01 lbs. of hay, and costing 7.31 cts. per pound of 

 gain. It is estimated that it cost 3.61 cts. per pound to raise and fatten the 

 calves. An average profit per head of $6.81 was realized. 



A study of the digestibility of rations for steers with special reference to 

 the influence of the character and the amount of feed consumed, H. W. 

 MuMFORD, H. S. Grindlet, L. D. Hall, A. D. Emmett, W. E. Joseph, and H. O. 

 Allison {lUinois Sta. Bui. 172 {19U), pp. 235-285, figs. 7; aU., pp. S).— Four 

 lots of two 2-year-old choice feeder steers each were fed for periods of three, 

 four, four, and four weeks each with transitional periods of two and three 

 weeks between each period, as follows : Lot 1 maintenance ration, lot 2 main- 

 tenance and one-third feed, lot 3 maintenance and two-thirds feed, lot 4 full 

 feed ; the steers receiving during the first period clover hay, ground corn, and 

 oil meal 1:1:0, second period 1:3:0, third period 1:5:0, and fourth period 

 1:4:1. Digestion and metabolism stalls were provided and the feed intake and 

 outgo weighed and analyzed. The average coefficients of digestibility are shown 

 in the following table : 



Coefficients of diqcstihility of protein, fat, and carbohydrates of mixed rations. 



