STEER FEEDING EXPERIMENTS 15 



period. The amount of air-dry matter consumed per steer daily 

 varied little in all lots on an allowance of corn and some silage. 

 Lot I, receiving no silage, was highest with 24.27 pounds, while 

 Lot VI, fed all silage as roughage and no grain except cottonseed 

 meal, was lowest, with 19.44 pounds per steer daily. 



The average daily gain for the 84-day period was higher in 

 the lots which made the lower gains during the first period. This 

 would indicate that the making of large gains during the first part 

 of the feeding period is partly offset by smaller daily gains during 

 the latter part of the feeding period. It must be remembered, 

 however, that large gains during the fore part of the feeding period 

 are essential on account of the large amount of roughage that is 

 usually fed during this period, which has a tendency to reduce the 

 cost of gain for the entire period. 



The average amount of air-dry matter consumed per pound 

 of gain was very uniform in all lots. The greatest difference is 

 found in Lots I and VI, one of which received no silage and the 

 other silage as a sole roughage. 



The cost per pound of gain is uniform for all lots except Lot 

 VI. The lower cost of making a pound in this lot was due to the 

 cheaper ration fed. It will be noted that in all lots where grain 

 was fed the cost of producing a pound of gain materially increased 

 over the first period. The same condition is found in the average 

 cost of the daily ration. The cost of feed per steer per day ranges 

 from 21 cents to 25 cents. In the lot to which no grain was fed, 

 except a small allowance of cottonseed meal, the daily cost of the 

 feed was 17% cents per steer. 



Recapitulating the daily gains for the 140 days, it will be 

 noted that they are highest in those lots to which a large amount 

 of corn silage was fed as roughage, or a limited silage ration was 

 supplemented with corn after the first 28-day feeding period. This 

 .is notably shown in Lots II, V (b) and VI (c). Lots II and VI (c) 

 received the large amount of silage as roughage and cottonseed 

 meal as a protein supplement. Lot V (b) received a limited silage 

 ration, but corn was added to the ration at the end of 28 days. 

 Lot III, which received an unlimited silage ration but alfalfa hay 

 as a protein supplement, made the lowest daily gain. This condi- 



