FARM ANIMALS 117 



was compared with corn it was found that corn 

 meal made more rapid gains and at less cost than 

 wheat. The rapidity of gain in steers fed wheat in 

 Nebraska was greater than that of those on an ex- 

 clusive corn ration. During a short feeding period 

 steers on wheat gained twenty-two pounds per 

 head more than those on corn. 



LIGHT, MEDIUM AND HEAVY GRAIN RATIONS 

 COMPARED 



A practical question of great importance to the 

 ordinary feeder is how much grain can be fed with 

 the best results. This question has been thoroughly 

 studied at a number of experiment stations and 

 the results obtained were fairly uniform and sat- 

 isfactory. In a series of experiments rations of 

 sixteen, twenty and twenty-four pounds of corn 

 were compared with reference to their effectiveness 

 and economy. It was found that the steers which 

 received the small corn ration did not show the 

 same thickness of flesh and finish possessed by the 

 other lots. In general, it appears that gains in 

 fattening cattle may be made at a smaller cost with 

 light or medium rations than with heavy ones. In 

 a feeding period of 190 days, however, it is often 

 impossible to put a x sufficiently fine finish on cattle 

 maintained on a light or medium ration. The 

 difference in the selling price of finely finished cat- 

 tle is usually more than enough to compensate for 

 the cheaper gains made by the smaller rations of 

 grain. On this account the use of heavy grain 

 rations is most profitable to the feeder. The size 

 of the grain ration is indicated in the above dis- 

 cussion in connection with each particular grain 

 and in general must be determined by the appetite 



