280 HOUSE-FEEDING OF CATTLE 



substance of food to produce I Ib. of increase of live-weight in 

 oxen. A number of American experiments have reduced the 

 proportion to 10 Ibs. of dry food substance to I Ib. of total 

 increase, but these were conducted during but a short period, 

 and are not therefore generally applicable. 



Applying the rule (of, say, I Ib. live-weight per 12.5 Ibs. of 

 dry food) in the following calculation, we arrive at the results 

 shown below : 



Calculation showing the Amount of Food Consumed 

 and the resulting Product in Ibs. of Beef. 



(1) Concentrated Food : 



Cake 3 Ibs. - 12 p.c. water \ average, 13 p.c. water, 

 Meal 3 Ibs. - 14 p.c. water / leaving 87 p.c. dry. 



6 Ibs. per day, or 42 Ibs. per week, 

 loo : 87 : : 42 : 36.5 



(p.c. dry). (Ibs. natural cake (Ibs. dry cake 



and meal). and meal). 



Dry cake and meal . . . . = 36.5 Ibs. 



(2) Roots: 



| cwt. = 84 Ibs. per day, or 588 Ibs. per week - 89 



p.c. water, leaving II p.c. dry. 

 100 : ii :: 588 : 64.68 



(p.c. dry roots), (roots, natural), (total dry roots). 

 Dry roots (say) . . . .64.5 Ibs. 



(3) Straw: 



12 Ibs. per day, or 84 Ibs. per week - 14 p.c. water, 



leaving 86 p.c. dry. 



100 : 86 * : : 84 : 72.2 

 (p.c. dry). (Ibs. straw, (Ibs. dry 



natural). straw). 



Dry straw (nearly) . . . .72.2 Ibs. 



Total dry food I ^ . . 173.2 Ibs. 



173.2 -i- 12.5 = 13.08 Ibs. increase of live-weight. Live-weight brought 

 to dead-weight at 88.4* p.c. = 100 : 13.08 : : 88.4 : 11.56 Ibs. of dressed beef 

 laid on per week. 



* Warington gives 60 p.c. as the proportion of dressed beef from a prime fat 

 bullock's fasted live-weight, and Lawes says 50 p.c. from a store bullock, if killed 

 at the time of putting up to feed. The ordinary butchers' animal, it should be 

 remembered, is only "moderately fat," and will not give more than 57 p.c. of 

 dressed beef. 



The following table of Smithfield results of beef produced 

 by animals belonging to seven of our best beef-producing 

 breeds shows that the age of the animal materially affects the 

 rate of increase per day on a given amount of food. Other 

 things being equal, the cost per unit of beef produced increases 

 with age. Dressed meat to live-weight also increases with age 

 on the average about one per cent, each year for three years. 



