158 LIVE STOCK MANAGEMENT. 



Corn is the feed par excellence for fattening steers, and 

 under prevailing conditions in the great central states it is 

 the only staple feed used. In regions where corn is scarce 

 or high in price, wheat, barley, oats and roots are used; 

 and in some of the western states, sole dependence is some- 

 times placed on alfalfa, and with very good success. The 

 question of feeding corn alone, or with other feeds, will be 

 discussed in a later paragraph. 



The roughage fed must be controlled chiefly by supplies 

 on hand and prevailing prices. Good, bright clover . hay is 

 the ideal roughage to feed with corn; but it is difficult to 

 secure, and high prices often prevent its use. Corn fodder, 

 preferably cut before the leaves have dried up, can also be 

 used, and even wheat and oat straw, used as roughage, have 

 a feeding value that is surprising to many. Whatever the 

 roughage be, the steers should receive all they want of it, 

 but it should not be piled before them in such amounts that 

 they cannot clean it up. Steers will not eat roughage they 

 have breathed over for any length of time, and the aim 

 should be to supply their needs once or twice a day. 



The question of light, medium and heavy rations for fat- 

 tening cattle has aroused much discussion since feeds have 

 become high in price. The experiments conducted along this 

 line by the Iowa Experiment Station in 1903 are the only 

 available ones, and cannot be accepted as conclusive until 

 further tests are made. They show, however, that the cost 

 of gain was least on the light, and greatest on the heavy 

 ration bunch; the medium ration bunch occupying a middle 

 position. When total gains and selling prices are consid- 

 ered, however, the heavy ration proved slightly the best, as 

 the greater gain in weight and the consequent higher selling 

 price were sufficient to place this lot in the lead on returns; 

 but the light ration bunch ranked next when the same factors 

 were considered. Further experiments must be conducted 

 along this line. 



The use of supplemental feed stuffs from the packing 

 houses, oil mills and glucose factories, has engaged the atten- 

 tion of feeders for several years past. The experiments con- 

 ducted by the Iowa Experiment Station go to show that the 

 cost of these supplemental stuffs is the chief point to be con- 

 sidered. 



