49 



when put on feed, the addition of a small amount of clover hay to 

 the ration, or the more favorable weather conditions for fattening 

 cattle. It will also be noticed that the average daily gain made by 

 Lot 3 for the 160 day period is considerably less than that for the 

 1 20 day period, showing that rate of gain decreases as the fattening 

 period progresses. 



COST OF GAINS. Table XVIII shows the amount of feed con- 

 sumed per pound of gain and the cost per hundred pounds gain with 

 feed at different prices. 



TABLE XVIII. Showing Average Amount of Feed Consumed per 



Pound Gain, and Cost per 100 Pounds Gain with Feeds 



at Varying Prices 



A study of Table XVIII shows that the average amount of feed 

 consumed per pound of gain was highest in Lot 7 and lowest in 

 Lot 8. Since both these lots were short-fed, the cause cannot be 

 attributed to the length of the feeding period. It is clearly a case 

 of the effect of condition on the rate and cost of gain. It is. a well 

 known fact that the more nearly finished cattle are, the slower is the 

 rate and the higher the cost of gain. This is strikingly illustrated 

 by Lots 7 and 8. The cattle in Lot 7 were heavy, fleshy feeders, 

 while those in Lot 8 were rather light and very thin and in just the 

 condition to make rapid and economical gains. In fact, the rate of 

 gain in Lot 8 was the highest and the feed requirements the lowest 

 of any lot of cattle of similar age fed experimentally at this station. 



