TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 



159 



It will be noted that the rate of gain was actually decreased and the 

 cost per hundred pounds gain and selling value of the cattle not greatly 

 affected by the addition of corn silage to a ration of corn and clover hay. 

 This data from Purdue is also borne out by experiments at other stations 

 and by individual cattle feeders. 



If the best results are to be secured with corn silage, some nitrogenous 

 concentrate must be fed. Since cottonseed meal seems to be as plentiful 

 and as cheap for its worth as any, we have been using it in our experi- 

 ments. The effect of adding cottonseed meal in the proportion of two 

 and one-half pounds daily per 1,000 pounds live weight of cattle, to a ra- 

 tion of corn, clover hay and corn silage, is shown by the following table : 



Initial value 



Initial weight, lbs , 



Average daily gain, lbs 



Cost per hundredweight gain 



Necessary selling price 



Actual value 





'Jl 





jt; ^ 



■TO).';:: 



J- > K 



rSl 



"$4:oo~ 



1,125 



1.80 



$11.07 



5,37 



6.00 



It will be noted that by the addition of cottonseed meal to the ration 

 the daily gain was increased in the first case from 1.85 pounds to 2.57 

 pounds, and in the second case from 1.80 pounds to 2.70 pounds, at a re- 

 duction in cost per hundred pounds gain of $1.06 in the first trial and $1.96 

 in the second. The selling value of the cattle was increased by the use of 

 cottonseed meal 30 cents and 25 cents per hundredweight. 



Since the necessary selling price was practically the same in either 

 case, the excess in selling price due to the addition of the nitrogenous 

 concentrate represents practically clear profit. Therefore, in order to se- 

 cure the greatest benefits from corn silage, some form of protein must be 

 added to the ration. 



In conclusion, therefore, let me again call attention to the facts that, 

 first, when properly supplemented with a nitrogenous concentrate, the ad- 

 dition of corn silage to a ration of corn and clover hay has returned a 

 profit amounting in one ration to $6.63 for the average of two years' trials. 

 And that in no case was there a smaller profit than $2.54 per steer by the 

 addition of the silage. Second, the more nearly the silage replaced the 

 hay in the ration, the greater was the reduction in the cost of gain, but 

 when no clover hay was fed there was a decrease in the selling price. 

 Third, the addition of corn silage to a ration of corn and clover hay not 

 properly supplemented does not greatly affect the profits. Fourth, the 

 best results can not be secured from feeding corn silage to fattening steers 

 unless the ration is properly balanced by a nitrogenous concentrate. 



