SUMMARY. 



The feeding of beef cattle can be made profitable in this State, especially dur- 

 ing the winter months. While large profits can not be obtained usually, the in- 

 dustry furnishes a means of using the cheaper rough feeds on the farm and ob- 

 taining the feeding value of cottonseed meal before it is used as a fertilizer. 



The length of the feeding period is limited because of the harmful effect of 

 cottonseed meal when fed in quantities sufficient to produce large gains. The 

 most profitable feeding period will range from one hundred to one hundred and 

 twenty days, the exact length of time depending upon the amount of cottonseed 

 meal fed daily. 



The average daily feed of cottonseed meal for two and three year old steers 

 should be about seven pounds per animal. The average daily feed used in these 

 experiments, including the preliminary period, was 7.30 pounds per animal the 

 first year and 6.82 pounds the second year. 



The average amount of cottonseed meal fed during the two years to produce a 

 pound of gain was 5.71 pounds for lot i, fed corn silage and corn stover for 

 roughage; 5.77 pounds for lot 2, fed corn silage for roughage; and 5.17 pounds 

 for lot 3, fed cottonseed hulls for roughage. These figures show that it took less 

 cottonseed meal to produce a pound of gain when fed with cottonseed hulls than 

 when fed with either corn silage or corn stover. 



The average daily gain for the two years was largest with the steers fed cot- 

 tonseed meal and cottonseed hulls. The average daily gains made by the steers 

 fed cottonseed meal, corn stover and corn silage, and cottonseed meal and corn 

 silage were approximately the same each year. 



The cheapest gains were made the first year by the steers fed cottonseed 

 meal and corn silage. In the second year the steers fed this ration made cheaper 

 gains than any of the others, either the first or second year of the experiment. 

 The cost of gain should not be confused with the final profits, which are influ- 

 enced by the quality of the steers and the selling price per pound. 



The second cheapest gains during the first year were made by the steers fed 

 cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls and during the second year by those fed 

 cottonseed meal and corn silage. The most expensive gains were made both! 

 years by the steers fed cottonseed meal, corn silage and corn stover. 



While the steers fed cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls made somewhat 

 larger and cheaper gains during the second year, their dressing percentage was 

 two and one-tenth per cent lower than the steers fed cottonseed meal and corn 

 silage, and two and two-tenths per cent lower than the dressing percentage of 

 the steers fed cottonseed meal, corn silage and corn stover. 



The parties handling these steers reported them much better as a whole than 

 most of those sold on the local market. The special criticism made, however, 

 was that the steers fed cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls were inferior in- 

 cutting qualities to either of the other two lots. 



The cost of the gains was rather high with all the steers both years; however, 

 the gains made by the feeders of this State in general will usually cost as much 



