500 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



another received the same feeds with legume hay in addition. In these 

 trials a total of 174 two-year-old steers averaging 942 Ibs. wera fed for 

 an average of 156 days. 



Silage as the sole roughage vs. silage and legume hay 



Feed consumed for 100 Ibs. gain Feed cost 

 Daily of 100 



Average ration gain Concentrates Hay Silage Ibs. gain 



Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Dollars 



Lot I* 



Corn silage, 29 . 2 Ibs. 



Corn, 13. 5 Ibs. 



Supplement, 2. 7 Ibs 2.24 693 ... 1,283 9.13 



Lot II* 



Legume hay, 4.3 Ibs. 

 Corn silage, 24.3 Ibs. 



Corn, 13.8 Ibs. 



Supplement, 2.7 Ibs 2.36 701 195 1,065 9.87 



*Av. of 5 trials by Skinner, Cochel, and King (Ind. Buls. 136, 153, 163, 167); 1 by Allison (Mo. Bui. 112); 

 1 by Eward at the Iowa Station (Breeder's Gaz., 61, 1912, p. 1040); 1 by Rusk at the 111. Station (Breeder's 

 Gaz., 61, 1912, p. 1041); and 1 by Tomhave and Hickman (Penn. Bui. 133). 



Lot II, receiving legume hay in addition to corn silage, made slightly 

 larger gains than Lot I, which was fed no dry roughage. The addition 

 of clover hay to the ration increased the feed cost of 100 Ibs. gain by 

 $0.74 on the average but resulted in slightly better finish, the steers in 

 Lot II selling for 7 cents more per 100 Ibs. than those in Lot I. In 

 some of the trials the selling price of Lot II was enough higher to offset 

 the more expensive gains, and return a greater profit. In others, feeding 

 silage as the only roughage was the more economical. Where the silage 

 was from corn which had nearly matured and hence was high in dry 

 matter, the addition of dry roughage did not always increase the gains. 



As steers fed clover hay in addition to corn silage ate but little hay, 

 Skinner and King thot that possibly the benefit from the hay lay 

 more in satisfying the appetites of the steers for dry roughage than in 

 the nutrients actually supplied. They tested this theory out in two 

 trials in which oat straw was fed in place of clover hay, the rest of the 

 ration consisting of shelled corn and corn silage, with enough cottonseed 

 meal to balance the ration. Tho the steers ate an average of but 1.5 Ibs. 

 oat straw, this seemed to satisfy their desire for dry roughage, and in 

 both trials they made as large gains, at a less cost for feed, and sold for 

 fully as high a price as those fed clover hay. It should be pointed out 

 that these results would not have been secured had not sufficient cotton- 

 seed meal been fed to balance the oat straw, corn silage, and corn ration. 



Trials at other stations 109 show likewise that adding some dry rough- 

 age to a ration of grain, silage, and protein-rich supplement will usually 

 produce slightly more rapid gains and better finish on the cattle than 

 when silage is the only roughage. An important fact for the farmer who 

 does not have an abundance of home-grown legume hay is that this dry 



108 Bliss and Lee, Nebr. Bui. 151; McCampbell and Winchester, Kan. Cir. 92* 

 Wilson, S. D. Bui. 137. 



