725 



showing that the more nearly corn silage replaced clover hay in the 

 ration the greater was the reduction in cost of gain. The largest 

 quantity of grain required to make a pound of gain was in Lot 2. 

 As the clover hay was replaced by corn silage the grain requirements 

 per pound gain were gradually decreased until the total displacement 

 of dry roughage by silage was accompanied by the smallest grain 

 requirement to make a pound of gain. The roughage (not dry 

 matter) consumed per pound gain was almost inversely proportional 

 to the grain requirements. The cost of gain was highest in Lot 2 

 where it was $14.23 per cwt. The addition of corn silage once 

 daily to the ration reduced the cost of gain $1.83 per cwt. The 

 addition of corn silage twice daily reduced the cost $3.17 per cwt., 

 and the substitution of corn silage for clover hay reduced the cost 

 of gains $4.35 per cwt. While the price of clover hay was abnor- 

 mally high, the valuation of clover at $io.oo per ton did not change 

 the relative standing of the rations in regard to cost of gains, al- 

 though it caused a great, narrowing of the differences. But even on 

 that basis, the use of silage affected savings in cost of gain varying 

 from 89 cents to $2.27 per cwt. The least difference in cost of gain 

 was when corn was valued at 40 cents per bushel and clover hay at 

 $10.00 per ton. When figured on such a basis, there was a reduction 

 in cost of gain of 75 cents, $1.33 and $1.98 per cwt. according to the 

 degree to which clover hay was replaced by corn silage. Nor is 

 this due entirely to the difference in value of roughage. The figures 

 on the dry matter required to make a pound of gain show that the 

 figures on cost of gain are fundamentally correct. The dry matter 

 required to make a pound of gain was 11.57 pounds when clover hay 

 alone formed the roughage of the ration. The substitution of corn 

 silage once daily reduced this to 11.21 pounds; the feeding of corn 

 silage twice daily in combination with clover hay reduced it to 10.76 

 pounds ; while the complete substitution of the silage for the dry 

 roughage reduced the dry matter per pound gain to 9.74 pounds. 

 It must be kept in mind, however, that the animal body requires 

 more protein than is found in corn and corn silage and that this food 

 nutrient must be supplied in some concentrated form before best 

 results can be secured from these two feeds when fed in combination 

 with each other. 



FINISH. One of the most striking effects of the rations fed in 

 this trial was shown in the finish produced on the cattle. Since a 

 small difference in selling price may overcome a large difference in 

 cost of gain, the finish of the cattle is of great importance and may 

 outweigh any saving in cost of gain. Table IV gives the selling 

 values of the cattle in the lots without shrinking at the end of the 

 feeding trial and also after a feeding period of ninety days. These 

 values are 40 cents below what commission men believed the cattle 

 were worth in Chicago at the time the trial ended, and after only 

 ninety days on feed. 



