CATTLE FEEDING EXPERIMENT. 



ROUGHNESS SUPPLExMENTARY TO CORN FOR FATTENING TWO- 

 YEAR-OLD RANGE STEERS. 



By H. R. SMITH. 



In the economical production of beef, the character of 

 the roughness fed in connection with corn is a factor of 

 greater importance than we have given it in the past. 

 Heretofore, the inclination among cattle feeders ha,s been 

 to depend almost entirely upon corn for producing beef, 

 supplying almost any sort of roughness that would satisfy 

 the craving of the animal for something bulky. Some, in 

 fact, have operated upon the theory that in producing beef 

 for the market it is desirable to feed corn as heavily as possi- 

 ble, discouraging the consumption of rough feed by supply- 

 ing an inferior quality of hay and not infrequently nothing 

 more than a straw stack. 



Under present market conditions, with a foreign and home 

 demand for corn such as to make this grain continue high in 

 price, and with beef selling at a figure hardly in keeping with 

 modern corn values, we are forced to depend less upon grain 

 and more upon the cheaper bulky foods. Tn other words, 

 we are compelled to recognize the fact that the steer is an 

 animal adapted for the conversion of roughage as well as 

 grain into beef and that this part of the ration should be 

 given as much consideration. It was the desire on the part 

 of the Station to secure data on the relative value of rough 

 feeds common in the West that led to a feeding test with 

 yearling steers during the winter of 1904, the results of which 

 were published in Bulletin 85. It seemed advisable to se- 

 cure further proof along this line, and similar investiga- 



BULL. 90, AGE. EXP. STATION OF NEBR. VOL. XVIII, ART. I. 



