PRICKLY PEAR AS STOCK FEED. SMITH. 



Pricldy Pear as Sole Feed.— The amounts of succulent 

 prickly pear eaten by three steers ^vhen the sole feed in a 

 hf ty-day trial ranged from 40 to 60 lb. per day. With three other 

 steers in a ten-day trial the average daily consumption did not 

 exceed 60 lb. per day. The starch equivalent of the average 

 prickly pear ration shghtly exceeded 40 lb. 



Influence of Supplementary Feeds. — The effect of feeding pro- 

 tein supplying feeds in small amount is to increase the amount of 

 j)ricJdy jjear eaten by steers. Thus steer 16 when fed meal in the 

 second maintenance trials ate 5-99 lb. starch equivalent prickly 

 pear per day, as against 3-72 when pear was the sole feed. 

 Steer 7 averaging 4-30 lb. starch equivalent when confined to 

 prickly pear took 6-55 lb. when lucerne hay was also given. 

 The feeding of meal increased the consumption of steer 12 from 

 4-24 to 5-64 lb. starch equivalent prickly pear. Supplementary 

 feeds poor in protein do not similarly increase appetite for 

 prickly pear. Steer 7 when fed millet hay equal in nutriment 

 to the lucerne took only 3-90 lb. starch equivalent prickly pear ; 

 the appetite of steer 5 for prickly pear when lucerne was 

 replaced bj^nillet hay fell from 7 19 to 416 lb. starch equivalent. 



Effect of Degree of Supplementation. — It was recognised early 

 in the trials that increase in the amount of other feeds given 

 decreased the amount of pricldy pear eaten. Tables 4 and 5 show 



Table 4. — Rations by Groups. Prickly Pear Variously Supple- 

 mented. 



