Economical Rations in Beef Production. 25 



month's feeding and sold at $5.50 per hundred, the top of the 

 South Omaha market May 14, '07, when there was a heavy 

 run of cattle. The heavy fed cattle sold for $5.65 April 16th, 

 one month previous, when the market was 20 cents per hun- 

 dred higher, as found by averaging the selling price of the top 

 hundred steers April 16th and the same number May 14th. 

 In computing the net profits in the above table, both lots 

 were figured at $5.38 per hundred net, the price received for 

 the heavy fed cattle on home weights at the close of the ex- 

 periment. At last winter's ('06- 7 07) prices on feeds, viz., 

 shelled corn 36 cents per bushel, snapped corn 35 cents, al- 

 falfa hay $8.00 per ton, and stover $2.50 per ton, the heavy 

 fed steers produced gains at a net cost (deducting pork from 

 droppings) of $5.46 per hundred compared with $5.62 for the 

 light fed steers. Had the alfalfa hay cost $5.00 per ton instead 

 of $8.00 and alfalfa in the stack on the average farm of Ne- 

 braska does not usually command a figure greater than $5.00 

 the net profits per steer would have been the same in both 

 lots. This would have been true also if the corn had cost 50 

 cents per bushel instead of 35 cents, figuring the alfalfa at 

 $8.00. This experiment emphasizes further the value of al- 

 falfa as a beef producer, and it opens a new and important 

 field for future investigation. The record made by the light 

 fed cattle was no accident, as another lot in a corn fodder 

 experiment made very nearly as large gains on the same grain 

 ration. No conclusions, however, are to be drawn until after 

 further tests along this line are made. As a single experi- 

 ment it suggests the possibility of producing beef most eco- 

 nomically on what approaches a full grain feed when corn is 

 low in price and alfalfa high. When corn is high and^ alfalfa 

 low, something more like half a full feed of grain would make 

 beef production more profitable even tho more time is re- 

 quired to finish the cattle. Judging from the results of the 

 above experiment, it is probable that the most economical 

 proportion of grain to hay under average conditions will be 

 found somewhere between a half feed and a full feed of grain. 



