II 



The trials reported herein are a continuation of and are based 

 upon previous investigations at this station and reported in bulletins 

 Nos. 129 and 136. The trials reported have shown that the addi- 

 tion of corn silage to a ration of shelled corn and clover hay for 

 fattening cattle does not materially affect the profit. They have also 

 shown that the addition of cottonseed meal to a ration either with 

 or without silage is profitable. However, when cottonseed meal was 

 fed, the addition of corn silage decreased the cost of making gains 

 by amounts varying from 50 cents to $2.00 per hundred and made as 

 good or better finish on the cattle than when only dry roughage was 

 used. The exceedingly favorable showing of corn silage led to a 

 continuation of the investigation. It must be understood, however, 

 that it is not the purpose of these trials to find a substitute for clover 

 hay for cattle feeding, but rather to discover the most satisfactory 

 method of utilizing, through the medium of fattening cattle, the 

 roughage produced by the corn plant. Clover and corn must con- 

 tinue as the principal crops in the corn-belt, and the roughage from 

 both sources should be used in such combination that the greatest 

 good will be secured from them. With this object in view the fol- 

 lowing comparisons of silage and clover alone and in combination 

 were made in a two year series.. Because of the fact that earlier 

 trials had shown the economy of using cottonseed meal in a ration 

 and more especially in a ration containing corn silage, all the rations 

 in this test received shelled corn, and cottonseed meal in the propor- 

 tion of 2.5 pounds daily per 1000 pounds live weight of cattle. 

 The only variable factor between the four rations was the amount 

 of corn silage or clover hay fed. 



The rations fed were as follows : 

 Lot i. Shelled corn, cottonseed meal 2.5 pounds per 1000 pounds 



live weight, corn silage, (evening) clover hay (morning). 

 Lot 2. Shelled corn, cottonseed meal 2.5 pounds per 1000 pounds 



live weight, clover hay. 

 Lot 3. Shelled corn, cottonseed meal 2.5 pounds per 1000 pounds 



live weight, corn silage. 



Lot 4. Shelled corn, cottonseed meal 2.5 pounds per 1000 pounds 

 live weight, corn silage twice daily, clover hay. 



A comparison of Lots i and 2 shows the effect of adding a 

 limited amount of corn silage to a ration of shelled corn, cotton- 

 seed meal, and clover hay ; of Lots i and 4 shows the effect of dif- 

 ferent amounts of silage; and Lots 2 and 3 shows the effect of 

 entirely replacing the clover hay with silage. 



The first noticeable difference in the effect of the rations is 

 shown in the appetites of the cattle for the different feeds. Since 

 this is a very important detail in the effect of rations, the variations 

 in the amount of feed consumed at different stages of the feeding 

 period should be carefully noted. 



Table I shows the average amounts of feed consumed daily 

 per steer by 30 day periods : 



