368 



Feeds and Feeding. 



This same problem has been worked out by Stewart, * who sum- 

 marizes the records of eight annual exhibits at the American Fat- 

 Btock Show, Chicago, as follows: 



Age and rate of gain of animals exhibited at the American Fat-StocJc 

 Show, Chicago, 1878-85 — Steicart. 



The abore shows that choice cattle fed for exhibition made an 

 average daily gain of 2.63 pounds up to 297 days of age; after 

 this the gain gradually fell oflf with increasing age, until when the 

 animals averaged 1,283 days of age, the rate of gain for the whole 

 period was only 1.51 pounds daily. 



The point under consideration is more strongly brought out in 

 the following table, ^ which shows the gains by periods: 



Gain of steers exhibited at American Fat-8tock Shotc, by periods — 

 Stewart. 



Period. 



First period.... 

 Second period 

 Third period.. 

 Fourth period 



Length 



of 

 period. 



Days. 



297 

 315 

 331 

 340 



Average 



gain per 



head. 



Lbs. 



780 

 554 

 305 

 299 



Average 

 daily gain 

 per head. 



Lbs. 



2.63 



1.76 



.92 



The table shows that up to 297 days the cattle made an average 

 daily gain (including birth weight) of 2.63 pounds, while for the 

 final period of 340 days there was a gain of only .88 pounds daily 

 per head. The gradual decrease in the ability of the steer to 

 lay on flesh is apparent to every one upon a little thought. There 

 must come a time in the life history of the animal when there is 

 no increase in weight no matter what amount of food is consumed; 



» Feeding Animals, 3d ed,, App. * Loc. cit 



