1906.} RATIONS FOR BEEF BREEDING Cows. 331 



be seen that the extra amount of oat straw practically took the place 

 of the wasted stover. The two lots therefore consumed practically 

 the same amounts of feed. There was, however, a very important 

 difference in effect, namely, that the feed fed lot I produced in 140 

 days an average of 44 pounds gain per cow more than did the 

 feed fed lot 2. This warrants the conclusion that the mere act of 

 siloing the corn plant increases to a considerable extent its value for 

 wintering cows. 



During the period in which lot 3 received only corn stover and oat 

 straw, the first forty-two days of the experiment, the cows in this 

 lot consumed an average of 21.67 pounds of corn stover and 5.15 

 pounds oat straw daily. Upon this ration the cows made an aver- 

 age daily gain of close to .7 of a pound each. When the shredded 

 stover of poor quality was substituted, the cows ate less of it and 

 more of oat straw. Notwithstanding the latter however, it was 

 soon necessary to add three pounds of clover hay to the ration to 

 secure satisfactory results. The total amount of oat straw con- 

 sumed by this lot was less than that consumed by either lot I or 

 lot 2. 



From February 18 to the end of the test all the cows were al- 

 lowed free and constant access to loose salt and a record kept of the 

 amount consumed by each. The average daily consumption of salt 

 per cow in the various lots was as follows: Lot i, .08 of a pound; 

 Lot 2, .12; and Lot 3, .10. 



COMPARISON OF ACREAGES 



In order to make a further comparison of the three rations used 

 in this test, we may calculate the number of acres required to winter 

 cows by each of the three methods used. The exact acreages of sil- 

 age, shock corn, and corn stover used were known. As indicated on 

 page 330, lots i and 2 received equal acreages of corn in the form of 

 silage and shock corn respectively. The corn crop yielded 57.86 

 bushels of corn and two tons stover (cured basis) per acre. Since 

 the other crops used were purchased on the market it is necessary 

 to assume the yield of each. We may assume that the yield of oat 

 straw was one ton per acre, and that of clover hay 1 34 tons, which 

 are believed to be in keeping with the yield of corn mentioned above. 

 Expressing the average amounts of feed consumed per head 

 (page 330) in terms of the acreages required to produce these feeds, 

 we have the following : 



