584 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Present methods of beef production, IV, H. W. Mumford and L. D. Hall 

 {Illinois Sta. Circ. 92, pp. 8).— Continuing the above-mentioned work, information 

 was collected regarding feeds and their preparation. 



As regards the production and purchase of feeds, only about 10 per cent of the 

 feeders who replied raise all the feed which they use in the production of beef. 

 About 50 per cent purchase corn and 50 per cent other commercial feeds, linseed-oil 

 meal being the most important feed besides corn. 



As regards the methods of feeding the corn crop, 24 per cent of the 197 replies on 

 this point were in favor of shock corn, 25 per cent in favor of shock corn combined 

 with corn otherwise prepared, 13 per cent in favor of shredded corn and corn other- 

 wise prepared, and 11 per cent in favor of shredded corn fodder alone. 



" Eighty per cent either pasture the stalks in the field or cut part for shock corn 

 and pasture the remainder, 12 per cent plow T under all the stalks, and the remainder 

 either burn them or convert them into silage. Only 5 correspondents state that they 

 cut the entire crop of corn." 



Linseed meal was fed by '21 of those who supplied data, the highest amount men- 

 tioned being 6 lbs. per head per day and the lowest (for young cattle) 0.2 lb. The 

 average for all kinds of cattle was 2.2 lbs., and for fattening steers 3 lbs. Ten per 

 cent of the replies mention the use of bran, 5 lbs. per head per day being the average 

 amount, 13 lbs. the maximum, and 1 lb. the minimum. Cotton-seed meal was fed 

 by 7 per cent of the correspondents, the largest amount being 9 lbs. and the smallest 

 1 lb. per head per day, or an average of 4.1 lbs. Only one correspondent spoke 

 unfavorably of it. 



The data gathered indicate that condimental preparations or "patent stock foods" 

 are purchased by 7 per cent of the Illinois cattle feeders. "The advantages claimed 

 for them by those who comment on the results secured are that they increase the 

 amount of feed consumed, aid digestion, and give gloss to the hair. A large propor- 

 tion of those who buy such preparations use them only for young stock or breeding 

 cattle." 



Oats are used by only about 3 per cent of the feeders, and various other grains and 

 concentrated feeds, viz, gluten meal, gluten feed, hominy hearts, "shipstuff," cotton- 

 seed hulls, shorts, middlings, flaxseed meal, and brewers' grains are used by about 

 9 per cent of all the correspondents. 



Data were also gathered as to the kind of coarse fodder used in full feeding, the 

 kind of pastures preferred, their management, amounts of pasturage required, use of 

 salt, practice of warming drinking water in winter, and related topics. 



' ' Summarizing the reports concerning the daily gain in w r eight of cattle during the 

 whole grazing season on grass alone, we find the average of all replies for 2-year- 

 old cattle to be 1.87 lbs. per day. The greatest daily gain reported is 3 lbs., and the 

 smallest 1 lb., but 80 per cent of the reports name amounts from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. The 

 average of all replies for yearlings is 1.66 lbs. per day. The greatest gain mentioned 

 is 3 lbs., and the smallest 1.5 lbs." 



Present methods of beef production, VI, H. W, Mumford and L. D. Hall 

 (Illinois Sta. Circ. 98, pp. 15, Jigs. 9). — Continuing the summary of data based on 

 replies received from some 500 cattle raisers (E. S. R., 17, p. 384), the importance of 

 shelter and the need of improvements in feed lot conditions are considered. 



The replies received from cattle raisers indicate that only a very small percentage 

 have naturally drained lots or take any precautions to prevent mud and its attendant 

 discomfitures and disadvantages. Of the 36 cattle feeders who report definite pro- 

 visions against mud, 10 have paved or otherwise artificially covered the surface of 

 the feed lot; 15 use rock, gravel, cinders, bricks, planks, corn cobs or saw 7 dust, alone 

 or in combination, in various parts of the lot, for instance, about the feed troughs, 

 water tanks, sheds, or gates; 10 have put the lots in satisfactory condition by tiled 

 draining, while 2 grade the yards and clean out the mud and manure with dirt 



