286 



The average gain was 1.26 pounds or practically I 1-4 pounds per day. 



He recommends feeding steers in yards containing 150 animals. 



Mr. Allen states that in shipping cattle no special preparation could 

 be given them, as steers which were ready for market were selected from 

 different yards and thrown together. He states, however, that he does 

 not allow them to drink too heavily before shipping them. 



It is preferable to ship cattle on dry rather than o>n succulent feed. 

 They seem to shrink less and are much less subject to scours. 



STEER FEEDING EXPERIMENT AT THIS STATION. 



Eight head of steers which had escaped from a car by the door being 

 accidentally left open, were secured for this test. They came from the 

 range west of the Missouri River in this state. They were a little over 

 thirty months old at the beginninig of the test, and were nearly three years 

 old when the experiment closed. Seven of them showed the result of an 

 intermingling of Shorthbrn blood and were probabl> between quarter 

 and half blood Shorthorns. The other steer No. 8 showed Aberdeen 

 Angus blood and was probably a half blood. He was well marked and 

 was a well proportioned steer. From the accidental m'an/ner in which 

 these eight steers happened to be the ones taken for the test, it will be 

 seen that they were not specially selected. My judgment is, however, 

 that they would average considerably better than the ranige stock of our 

 state, but many similar ones can be had each year. They were not accus- 

 tomed to beinig handled, and it was found impossible to manage one of the 

 number in a way which would give his individual live weight, and the. 

 weight of feed which he ate. Steer No. 10 was inclined to be persistently 

 vicious also, but was sufficiently tractable to be used on the test. 



My thanks are due Mr. H. M. Ash, the farm foreman, and his men 

 for the careful weighing and general handlinig of these wild, and at times 

 dangerous steers. 



In addition to the seven head of range cattle used in the te>sit, three 

 head of steers reared at the Experiment Station were used. These 

 latter were of the same age as the ranch steers. One was a full blood 

 Hereford, one a half blood Hereford and the other probably a half blood 

 Hoi stein.. 



The cattle were divided into two lots of five steers each, the two lots 

 weighing practically the same. The two steers with Hereford blood 

 were placed in the barley fed lot, and the Holstein and Aberdeen Angus 

 steers were placed in the bran and shorts lot. The two Hereford steers 

 were at a disadvantage from the fact that the full blood Hereford No. 3 

 was sick for about three weeks and lost flesh for awhile. The half blood 

 Hereford was also handicapped by reason of having carried more fat 

 at the beginning of the test than did amy otfher steer. 



