FEEDS FOE BEEF CATTLE 491 



winter 4 lots, each of 5 calves averaging 440 Ibs. in weight, were wintered 

 on alfalfa hay cut at the bud stage, at the early bloom stage, at the full 

 bloom stage, and at the seed stage, respectively. The following winters 

 the same lots of steers were each wintered on hay cut at the same stage 

 as they received the first winter. On the average the steers fed the hay 

 from alfalfa cut at the seed stage gained only 0.47 Ib. a head daily and 

 required 3,911 Ibs. of hay for 100 Ibs. gain. The hay cut at the bud stage 

 produced the largest gains, 1.18 Ibs. a head daily, and only 1,628 Ibs. hay 

 were required per 100 Ibs. gain. However, the alfalfa cut when one-tenth 

 in bloom made hay not much inferior, ton for ton, to this early cutting 

 and yielded 3.71 tons of hay per acre over an 8-year period, while alfalfa 

 cut at the bud stage yielded only 3.26 tons per acre. Considering not 

 only the feeding value of the hay per ton, but also the yield, cutting the 

 alfalfa from one-tenth in bloom to full bloom seemed most profitable. 



768. Fattening cattle on alfalfa and other roughage. In some sections 

 of the West where alfalfa is abundant and the market does not pay a 

 higher price for a well finished animal than for one in only fair flesh, 

 cattle are fed on alfalfa alone or alfalfa and other roughages without 

 concentrates, when they are not marketed directly from the range. In 

 other cases they are fed such roughage alone during most of the feeding 

 period, then a limited amount of concentrates is added for the last 

 month or so to produce somewhat better finish. The results of 8 trials 88 

 in which western steers have been fed alfalfa hay alone for periods 

 averaging 101 days show that on the average the cattle required 31.3 Ibs. 

 hay per head daily, including the hay refused, and that they gained 1.23 

 Ibs. a day. For each 100 Ibs. gain there were required an average of 

 2,541 Ibs. hay. 



Adding grain or other concentrates to the ration increases the rate 

 of gain and results in better finish, but often makes the gain much more 

 expensive, owing to the low price of hay and the high price of concen- 

 trates in these districts. In 6 of the trials mentioned previously, steers 

 were fed alfalfa hay with limited amounts of barley, corn or other con- 

 centrates in comparison with the lots fed alfalfa hay alone. On the 

 average each pound of concentrates saved 3.0 Ibs. of alfalfa hay, the 

 results differing quite widely in the various trials. 



Adding corn silage or sorghum silage to alfalfa hay seems to increase 

 the rate of gain more than adding a limited amount of concentrates, and, 

 furthermore, the gains are usually made at a less cost under conditions in 

 these sections. In a trial by Williams at the Arizona Station 89 steers fed 

 9.0 Ibs. alfalfa hay and 47.1 Ibs. sorghum silage gained 2.4 Ibs. a head 

 daily, while others fed alfalfa hay alone gained only 1.4 Ibs. Similarly, in 

 trials by Potter and Withycombe of the Oregon Station 90 adding corn 



88 Potter and Withycombe, 4 trials, Ore. Bui. 174; Carroll, Utah Station, 2 

 trials, information to the authors ; Foster and Simpson, 1 trial, New Mexico, Bui. 

 101; Williams, 1 trial, Ariz. Bui. 91. 



w Ariz. Bui. 91. "Oregon Bui. 174. 



