28 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



or more. The high cost of gains on the experimental cattle was partially the, 

 result of using a grade of steers inferior in breeding and gaining qualities al- 

 though the cattle as a whole were better than the average grade of cattle fed 

 in the State. High grade feeders properly fed should make double the gains} 

 made by these steers, which would reduce the cost of gains one-half. 



The average cost of the gains per hundred pounds for the two years was $17.55 

 for lot i, $15.56 for lot 2, and $15.13 for lot 3. 



The average profit per steer for the two years, including the manure, was $4.36 

 for lot i, $7.99 for lot 2, and $4.44 for lot 3. These results show that corn 

 silage is an excellent feed for fattening beef cattle. It not only made a larger 

 profit per steer but produced a better quality of meat than did the other feeds. 



The average price per hundred pounds live weight necessary during the two 

 years to clear the total cost of the finished steers was $6.08 for lot i, $5.78 for 

 lot 2, and $5.99 for lot 3. The average .price actually obtained was $5.82 for lot 

 i, $5.87 for lot 2, and $5.73 for lot 3. 



The cattle fed corn silage both years returned slightly more than necessary to 

 balance the original cost of the steers and the feed consumed without consider- 

 ing the value of the manure. This was true with only one other lot of 

 steers. During the first year, the cattle fed cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls 

 returned just enough to balance the transaction without counting the value of 

 the manure. In every other case there was a slight loss, although when the 

 value of the manure was considered each lot made a satisfactory financial 

 showing. 



Steers intended for feeding purposes should be at least two years old and 

 should weigh preferably 900 to 1,000 pounds in order to fatten satisfactorily 

 in the short feeding period necessary when fed on cottonseed meal. This is, 

 especially true of cottonseed meal because of its high nitrogen content. A feed of 

 this character when fed to immature animals will prolong their growing period, 

 consequently the advantage of feeding heavier cattle which have reached ma- 

 turity. 



As the results obtained in these experiments seem to favor the use of corn 

 silage for fattening beef cattle, it is important that the feeder save a portion of 

 his corn crop in the form of silage. It is not good business policy for the 

 feeder to buy cottonseed hulls at the present prices to replace this roughage, 

 which can be produced on the farm; especially so when it is considered that it 

 will give equal or better results than cottonseed hulls. 



It is necessary to have a margin of $1.50 to $1.75 per hundred pounds live 

 weight to insure satisfactory financial returns on beef cattle. During the first 

 year the margin on the steers used in this experiment was $1.75 per hundred 

 pounds and the second year $1.375 P e * hundred pounds. 



