

498 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



Adding a supplement to corn, corn silage, and clover hay 



Feed for 100 Ibs. gain 



Initial Daily Concen- Hay Silage 



Average ration weight gain trates 



Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbe. 



Lot /, no supplement* 

 Shelled corn, 14.4 Ibs. 

 Corn silage, 26.1 Ibs. 



Clover hay, 3.8 Ibs 984 2.1 710 189 1,271 



Lot 1 1, fed a supplement* 

 Supplement, 2.7 Ibs. 

 Shelled corn, 14.2 Ibs. 

 Corn silage, 26.1 Ibs. 

 Clover hay, 3.8 Ibs 984 2.6 664 150 1,059 



*Average of 6 trials by Skinner, Cochel, and King (Ind. Buls. 129, 220, 240, 249, and 255), and of 

 1 trial by Allison (Mo. Bui. 112). 



The steers in Lot II, fed 2.7 Ibs. of protein-rich supplement (cotton- 

 seed or linseed meal) in addition to shelled corn, corn silage, and clover 

 hay, gained 0.5 Ib. more per head daily than Lot I, receiving no supple- 

 ment, and required less feed for 100 Ibs. gain. Because the price of 

 these supplements per ton is much higher than that of corn, the steers fed 

 the supplement made no cheaper gains in these trials than those receiv- 

 ing none. However, they sold for 26 cents more per cwt. on account of 

 better finish. Taking into consideration both the saving of feed per 100 

 Ibs. gain when the supplement was fed and also the higher selling price, 

 1 Ib. of cottonseed or linseed meal was worth as much as 3 Ibs. of shelled 

 corn. 



In these trials just as good results would probably have been secured 

 if only 2.25 to 2.50 Ibs. of cottonseed or linseed meal had been fed per 

 head daily, which would have made the gains slightly more economical 

 than on the larger allowance. (710) 



Since alfalfa hay is materially richer in protein than is clover hay, 

 a ration of corn, alfalfa hay, and corn silage is more nearly balanced 

 than when clover hay is fed. Therefore, there is less advantage in 

 adding an allowance of cottonseed or linseed meal. This matter has been 

 studied in 4 trials with 2-year-old steers by Gramlich at the Nebraska 

 Station 105 and in 2 by Allison at the Missouri Station. 106 On the average 

 the steers fed shelled corn, alfalfa hay, and corn silage, without a supple- 

 ment, gained 2.22 Ibs. a head daily, while the gain was increased to 2.47 

 Ibs. when an allowance of cottonseed or linseed meal was added. This 

 shows that the ration of corn, alfalfa hay, and corn silage, the nutritive 

 ratio of which averaged 1 : 9.0, did not contain quite enough protein for 

 the maximum gains of 2-year-old steers. However, the steers fed no 

 supplement were, on the average, nearly as well finished as the others 

 at the end of the feeding period, selling for only 6 cents less per cwt. 

 Considering all factors, when cottonseed or linseed meal was added to the 

 ration of corn, alfalfa hay, and corn silage, 100 Ibs. of the supplement 

 was worth only about as much as 160 Ibs. of shelled corn. Therefore, 



^Information to the authors. 108 Mo. Bui. 150. 



