354 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



CHALLENGER'S FEEDING. 



H. R. Smith in Breeders' Gazette. 



There has been considerable inquiry concerning the feeding of Chal- 

 lenger, the recent International grand champion steer, the details of 

 which are herewith presented. 



The Department of Animal Husbandry of the University of Nebraska 

 has no secret methods of feeding or fitting. The public is welcome to any 

 information concerning the feeding of Challenger which may be useful. 

 While it is not considered practicable to carry all animals to Challenger's 

 degree of finish, the ration given him can not be criticised for being an 

 unduly extravagant one, as the record will show. 



First of all. Challenger was raised by hand on skim milk. The 

 breeder, Lawrence Murphy, who was also his feeder until May 1st, last, 

 never gave him any preference because, as he says in a recent letter, "we 

 noticed nothing in him to give him a preference." He was given an 

 abundance of grass in summer, and corn, hay and corn stalks in winter. 

 When first seen by the writer last April he was in the open lot with 

 about fifty more of his own size. He was being fed corn on the stalk, 

 shelled corn and prairie hay. 



Challenger's record in the Department of Animal Husbandry of the 

 University of Nebraska begins May 6, 1903. On that date he weighed 

 1,275 pounds on feed and water. May 20th he again weighed 1,275 

 pounds. The change in surroundings partially explains why there was no 

 gain between these dates. His later weights were as follows: June 

 20th, 1,355 pounds; July 20th. 1.4430 pounds; August 20th, 1.525 pounds; 

 September 20th. 1,565 pounds; October 20th, 1,700 pounds; November 

 20th, 1,825 pounds. From May 6th to November 20th, six and one half 

 pounds, he therefore gained 550 pounds or an average gain of two and 

 three-fourths pounds per day. For a steer of Challenger's age and flesh 

 this was a remarkable gain for a summer period of that length. 



May 6th he was started on a ration consisting of 60 per cent corn, 20 

 per cent oats, 10 per cent bran and 10 per cent oil meal. September 26th 

 his ration was changed to 50 per cent corn, 20 per cent oats, 10 per cent 

 bran and 20 per cent oil meal. October 17th the bran was cut out and 

 the oats increased to 30 per cent to counteract the laxative effects of 20 

 per cent oil meal ration. November 7th, for the sake of variety, three 

 pounds of ground wheat was introduced. He was then under extremely 

 high pressure feeding, consuming twenty-five pounds of grain per day, 

 besides a few pounds of sugar beets and about eight pounds of alfalfa 

 and prairie hay. 



Challenger was kept in a cool shed away from the files during the 

 hot weather in company with two Angus steers of his own age, one of 

 which won third in the college class and the other second in the carcass 

 test. 



The feed for each meal was weighed out for the three together and 

 the herdsman divided i<- among them as evenly as could be estimated. 



