It will be seen from the above data, that the cost of the cattle 

 delivered in the feed lots, after paying freight and preliminary feed- 

 ing expenses, was 16 cents per hundred more than their cost in the 

 yards. The hay used during this period was of inferior quality 

 and the silage was damaged to some extent, hence the price is lower 

 than for that used in the experiment. During this period, 12 of the 

 steers were dehorned in order that they might not be a source of 

 disturbance to others which had been dehorned before purchase. 



The cattle classified as fair to good feeding cattle. They 

 showed evidence of an infusion of beef blood upon a ''scrub" foun- 

 dation. They did not possess the weight, type, quality or con- 

 dition of the best feeding cattle, fjut were selected with a view to 

 having a lot of steers that would represent an average grade used 

 throughout the state. They cost approximately one dollar per 

 hundred less than quotations of choice to fancy cattle upon the Chi- 

 cago market at the time of purchase. 



Method of Feeding and Sheltering. 



The 24 steers were divided into two lots as nearly alike as possi- 

 ble in age, weight, breeding, quality, condition and temperament, 

 designated as Lot I and Lot II. The steers in each lot were given all 

 of the corn silage they would consume and two pounds of cotton- 

 seed meal per head, daily. As previous experiments at this Station* 

 have shown that a limited grain ration was more profitable than a 

 full feed during the early part of the fattening process, the steers in 

 Lot I were fed approximately three-fourths of a full feed of ear corn 

 during the first two months, after which they were given all that 

 they would eat without waste until the close of the experiment. 

 Lot II was not fed any corn until the beginning of the third month, 

 when ear corn was added to the ration of silage and cottonseed 

 meal in approximately the same amount as was fed to Lot I during 

 the experiment. In each case, the ear corn was broken into two 

 or three pieces to facilitate its consumption by the cattle. A suf- 

 ficient number of hogs to prevent waste of grain which the cattle 

 had failed to masticate and digest was allowed to run with the 

 cattle. 



Each group of steers was housed in an open shed, boarded up 

 closely on three sides, with the south side open. Adjoining the 

 shed was an open lot to which the steers had access at all times. 

 The shed was kept bedded at all times. Water was supplied from 



*Bulletin 112. 



