RESULTS OF SHORT VS. LONG FEEDING PERIODS. 



J. H. SKINNER. W. A. COCHEI,. 



SUMMARY. 



1. A short feeding period necessitates the purchase of heavy 

 fleshy steers which would usually be marketed as killers. 



2. "Short fed" cattle consumed a greater proportion of con- 

 centrates to roughage than "lon^ fed" cattle. 



3. "Short fed" cattle made a greater daily gain per head than 

 "long fed" cattle. 



4. In the first test the total amount of corn necessary to 

 finish each steer was 34 bushels in the "short fed" lot and 54.6 bush- 

 els in the "long fed" lot ; in the second test, 42.5 bushels in the 

 "short fed" lot and 61 . 1 bushels in the "long fed" lot. 



5. In the first test it was necessary to put on 285 pounds per 

 head in the "short fed" lot and 464 pounds in the "long fed" lot to 

 attain the same marketable finish ;^in the^second test 318 pounds 

 in the "short fed" lot and 479 pounds in the "long fed" lot. 



6. During the period when both lots of cattle were in the 

 feed lot there was a greater profit per head from feeding the heavier, 

 fleshier steers. 



7. In the first test the margin necessary to prevent loss on 

 the "short fed" cattle at the time of marketing was 48 cents per 

 hundred ; on the "long fed" cattle at the same time 50 cents, and on 

 the "long fed" cattle at the time of marketing, $1.04 per hundred. 



In the second test the margin necessary to prevent loss on the 

 "short fed" cattle at the time of marketing was 92 cents per hun- 

 dred; on the "long fed" cattle at the same time $1.01 per hundred 

 and at the time of marketing, $1.54 per hundred. 



8. The cost of gains was cheaper on the thinner cattle during 

 the first three months of the test, but when fed to the same marketa- 

 ble finish, the cost of gains was practically the same. 



9. In short feeding cattle for late summer and fall markets 

 it is necessary to start with very fleshy feeders of excellent beef type 

 in order that they will not sell in competition with western grass 

 fat cattle. 



10. Additional data will be necessary before definite con- 

 clusions may be drawn as to the profits resulting from, these two 

 methods of feeding, due to the many variable factors which have a 

 direct bearing on the profit and loss in cattle feeding. 



