COUNSEL IN THE FEED LOT 523 



plied but once a day, largely as a matter of convenience, since the stock 

 may be grazing on a tract at some distance from the farmstead. 



804. Pigs following steers. "Whenever cattle are fed ear corn, shelled 

 corn or corn silage, pigs should be kept with them to utilize the unmasti- 

 cated and undigested corn in the droppings. The margin in cattle 

 feeding is frequently so narrow that the gains made by the pigs return 

 the only profit. It is therefore essential that pigs be provided to follow 

 the cattle, except when they are fattened on a ration from which the pigs 

 would not secure much waste feed, such as a ration of ground grain and 

 hay without silage, or a ration of cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls. 



The number of pigs per steer varies with the kind of feed and the age 

 of the cattle being fed. Enough should be provided to utilize the waste 

 feed fully. The range is 1 to 3 pigs per steer on snapped corn, 1 to 2 

 per steer on husked ear corn, about 1 per steer on shelled corn, and 1 

 pig to 2 or 3 steers on crushed or ground corn. The younger the steers, 

 the better they masticate and utilize their feed and the smaller are the 

 gains made by the pigs following. The best pigs for following cattle 

 weigh from 50 to 150 Ibs. and when they become fat they should be re- 

 placed. Any extra grain given the pigs to ensure their making satisfac- 

 tory gains should be fed in nearby separate pens before the cattle are 

 fed, so that the pigs will not crowd around the feed troughs or under the 

 wagon and team when the cattle are being fed. It pays to feed pigs 

 following steers 0.2 to 0.3 Ib. per head daily of tankage, or an equivalent 

 amount of other protein-rich feeds, to balance the ration. 



805. Water. Fattening cattle should have an abundant supply of 

 pure water at all times. During winter in the northern states the water 

 in the tanks or troughs should be kept from freezing by using suitable 

 heaters, but there is no advantage otherwise in warming water for fat- 

 tening steers. 1 Separate water troughs should be provided for pigs run- 

 ning with the steers. While it is best to have water before cattle at all 

 times, they quite readily adapt themselves to taking a fill once daily. 

 The water provision should be not less than 10 gallons per head daily 

 for 2-year-old steers. 



806. Salt. Animals fed large quantities of rich nutritious food, such 

 as fattening steers receive, show a strong desire for salt, and this craving 

 should be reasonably satisfied. Whether granular salt, rock salt, or salt 

 blocks should be supplied is merely a matter of convenience. It is 

 probably best to keep salt before the cattle at all times, tho some secure 

 excellent results when they give salt only once or twice a week. As in 

 other matters of feeding, habit is important, and a plan once adopted 

 should be followed without deviation. 



There is but little definite information on the amount of salt required 

 by beef cattle. During 5 years Eward found in trials at the Iowa 

 Station 2 that 2-year-old steers fattened on typical corn-belt rations, 

 including corn silage, and allowed free access to block salt, consumed 



"Potter and Withycombe, Ore. Bui. 183. breeder's Gazette, 76, 1919, p. 307. 



