Cattle Feeding Experiment. 7 



well and was always pure. Small heaters were used in the 

 tanks during extremely cold weather simply to prevent ice 

 formation. The importance of having a plentiful supply of 

 water cannot be given too much emphasis. 



PRELIMINARY FEEDING. 



Inasmuch as all the steers were accustomed to native 

 prairie hay, it seemed best to continue with that feed for a 

 time, making the change to the experimental rations gradual. 

 Twenty-four days were occupied in making this change, so 

 that it was not until January 21st that each lot was on its 

 experimental ration entire and the records of the experiment 

 proper were begun. During these three weeks of preliminary 

 feeding, the steers were fed a grain ration, gradually in- 

 creased from four pounds the first day to ten pounds Jan- 

 uary 21st 



INITIAL WEIGHTS OF STEERS. 



The steers were weighed at the time of the division of the 

 lots, December 28th, and each lot was again weighed four 

 days in succession just preceding and immediately after 

 January 21st, the average being taken for the initial wei^.-t 

 of each lot January 21st, the opening day of the experiment. 

 The average of four successive days' weighings was made 

 in order to secure a more reliable record of weights and 

 gains, a single weight being unsatisfactory because it may 

 be on a fill either above or below normal. 



RATIONS FED. 



Each lot was fed for twenty-four weeks upon rations as 

 follows : 



Lot 1, shelled corn and prairie hay. 

 Lot 2, shelled corn 90 per cent, oil-meal 10 per cent, and 



prairie hay. 



Lot 3, shelled corn and alfalfa hay. 

 Lot 4, shelled corn, alfalfa hay, and corn-stover. 



