6 9 7 



'HE EFFECT OF ADDING COTTONSEED MEAL TO A RATION OF 

 SHELLED CORN AND CLOVER HAY 



The well known efficiency of the clovers as a means of bal- 

 icing a ration of corn has led to its general use in lamb feeding, 

 [evertheless, the practice of feeding some form of concentrated 

 otein feed has become so general that, in many instances feeders 

 >nsider its use profitable even when a leguminous hay is fed. These 

 ials were planned to throw light on this subject. In all lots fed, 

 ic cottonseed meal was fed in the proportion of one part of this 

 jed to seven parts of corn. Both hay and grain were fed accord- 

 ig to the appetites of the lambs. The kind of lambs and the method 

 conducting the experiment was the same as in the other trials 

 lentioned. Table VII on the following page shows the effect of add- 

 ig cottonseed meal to a ration of shelled corn and clover hay. 



Table VII shows that the addition of cottonseed meal to a 

 ition of corn and clover hay had very little effect on the appetites 

 the lambs. At no time during the trials did any of these 

 ibs show a tendency to go "off feed" and the difference be- 

 reen the eagerness with which the lambs of the two lots ate their 

 was practically negligible. The rate of gain was very slightly 

 icreased by the use of cottonseed meal. This increase in gain 

 lounted to 1.4 pounds per lamb in the first trial; .3 pound in the 

 :ond, and 4.2 pounds in the third, or an average of 1.9 pounds, 

 ic result of this slight increase in rate of gain was to decrease 

 le feed required to make a pound of gain in corresponding pro- 

 )rtions. The average of the trials shows a saving of 25 pounds 

 >f grain and 27 pounds of hay per hundred pounds gain by the 

 Idition of a supplement. The high price of the cottonseed meal 

 icreased the cost of gain in the first trial, when corn was worth 

 cents per bushel, 14 cents per hundred pounds ; but, in the last 

 ro trials, the cost of gain was less when the supplement was fed. 

 'he table on cost shows that with corn at 40 cents per bushel, the 

 )st of gain was practically the same in both lots when the average 

 >f three trials is considered, but with corn above this price there 

 a saving effected by the use of cottonseed meal. The .selling 

 lue of the lambs in the two trials where final values were secured 

 lowed an increased value of the lambs fed the supplemented ration 

 >f 10 cents per cwt. in the first trial and 17^ cents per cwt. in the 

 ist trial. 

 EFFECT OF ADDING COTTONSEED MEAL TO A RATION OF 



SHELLED CORN, CLOVER HAY AND CORN SILAGE 

 The saving of the roughage produced by the corn plant by con- 

 certing it into corn silage necessitates feeding this product to live 

 tock on the farm or immediate vicinity in which the corn is grown, 

 'he feeding of corn silage complicates the question of what is best 



