Factors in Steer Feeding. 



373 



animals when gaining rapidly are hearty feeders, though when 

 mature they require only a small amount of provender for main- 

 tenance. Nothing in the tables given in this chapter warrants the 

 statement that pure-bred or high-grade cattle of the beef breeds 

 are small eaters. 



570. Less feed for a given gain. The second claim, and a 

 more reasonable one, is that cattle bred specifically for beef give 

 better returns for a given amount of feed than those bred for milk 

 production or those of promiscuous or low breeding. This claim 

 is quite generally advanced by stockmen, and is usually conceded 

 without calling for proof. 



A few Stations have undertaken the difficult task of testing 

 the comparative merits of the several breeds. While the number 

 of animals tested is not large, by combining all the data at hand 

 we get some light on the question though we cannot hope to en- 

 tirely settle it. Figures are given in the next table from trials at 

 five Stations where pure-bred and native steers were fed in com- 

 parison for periods varying from ninety-two days to eighteen 

 months: 



Grain required for 100 pounds of gain with steers of several 'breeds 

 as found at various Experiment Stations. 



(a) Bui. 20. 

 (e) Bui. 69. 



(6) Bui. 28. (c) Bui. 44. 



(/) Kept. 1892. (g) Bui. 51. 



(d) Bui. 44. 

 (A) Bui. 24. 



There were two steers in each Michigan trial and in the first 

 Iowa trial. In the second Iowa trial there were ten Short- 

 horn and ten Angus steers; in the Ontario trial there was only 

 one of eachj in the Kansas trial there were six Short-horns and 



