STEER FEEDING EXPERIMENT, 1903-4. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The feeding tests with the car load of steers was again taken 

 up during the winter of 1903-4. We were somewhat late in getting 

 the animals, so that they were put immediately into the feeding 

 yards upon their arrival at the college farm. 32 head "of steers 

 were fed. They ranged in age from two to three years and were 

 an average lot of range steers, though nothing extra as to quality. 

 They were purchased from two or three farmers in the neighbor- 

 hood of Bozeman and cost an average of a little over three 

 cents vper. pound live weight. Some of the steers were dehorned 

 when purchased, but about half the lot were dehorned just before 

 the test started. 



PURPOSE AND PLAN OF THE TEST. 



This experiment was arranged as a continuation of the ex- 

 periment of the year before, namely, to test the feeding value f 

 the different kinds of grain and combinations of grain which are 

 available to the Montana farmer. The steers were divided into four 

 lots, 8 steers in each lot, our aim being to divide these steers as 

 evenly as possible according to weight and quality. The lots were 

 fed as follows : 



Lot I received clover hay and crushed wheat as a grain ration. 

 Lot II received clover hay, and ground oats as the grain ration. 

 Lot III received clover hay, and ground barley as a grain ration, 

 and lot IV received clover hay and a mixture of grains consisting 

 of equal parts of wheat, oats and barley. The clover part of the 

 ration consisted of the first and second crops and was a very fair 

 quality of clover. The grain was good sound grain. It was 

 chopped medium fine and was in good condition for feeding. The 



