THE BEEF CATTLE INDUSTRY 



391 



periods without any harm, but T 1 /^ 

 pounds was found to be slightly too 

 much. 



In a further series of tests in Okla- 

 homa, cottonseed proved to be less sat- 

 isfactory when fed alone than when 

 combined with other grain. In general, 

 it may be said that cottonseed meal rare- 

 ly affects the health of steers, except 

 when fed in excess, or for long periods 

 during hot weather. Cattle may lose 

 appetite if fed cottonseed meal in too 

 large rations, but are not seriously af- 

 fected. 



Throughout the northern states, cot- 

 tonseed meal has been found effective 

 when fed with some other grain; for 

 example, corn in the ratio of 1 :4. In 

 Tennessee, cottonseed meal gave best 

 gains when mixed with corn meal in the 

 ratio of 1 '.lVi. 



Dried distillery grains — This feeding 

 stuff has not been extensively used in 

 fattening steers. In Kentucky, May 

 tested dried distillery grains in fatten- 

 ing steers. It proved to be the most 

 economical of the various rations which 

 were tried, and less grain was required 

 for a pound of gain when distillery 

 grains entered largely into the ration. 

 Distillery grains may be made more suit- 

 able as a feed for steers by drying rather 

 than by feeding directly from the still 

 as slop. On the basis of German ex- 

 perience with this material, it appears 

 that the excessive amount of water in 

 distillery slop is unfavorable to the 

 quality of the meat. 



Gluten feed has already been re- 

 ferred to as a by-product of corn. It 

 may be used as a supplemental feed with 

 corn, since it contains a high percen- 

 tage of protein. According to Englisn 

 experience, gluten feed is superior to a 

 mixture of cottonseed meal and ground 

 wheat for fattening steers. It may be 

 fed in rations of 5 to 6 pounds daily, 

 and often costs less than an equally ef- 

 fective mixture of various grains. In 

 some English feeding experiments glu- 

 ten meal has given a greater profit than 

 mixtures of cottonseed meal, barley and 

 linseed meal. Gluten feed compares 

 well with oats and mixed grains of ail 

 sorts. 



In Iowa, where gluten feed was used 

 as a supplemental meal in a grain ration, 

 the amount was gradually increased 

 from 1-5 of a pound to 4 pounds daily. 

 In a lot of steers fed in this manner, 

 the average daily gain was 2,98 pounds 



and the cost of gain was $9.65 a hun- 

 dred pounds. Gluten meal may be used 

 in the same quantities and for the 

 same purpose as gluten feed. In the 

 Iowa experiments just referred to, Ken- 

 nedy and Marshall found that steers on 

 a ration containing corn and gluten 

 meal gained 2.92 pounds a day, and that 

 the cost of 100 pounds of gain was 

 $9.34. 



Horse chestnuts — According to Schil- 

 ler, horse chestnuts may be cracked and 

 fed to cattle in rations of 20 pounds. 

 Their feeding value is high, but they 

 have a constipating effect and potatoes 

 should be fed with them to overcome 

 this disadvantage. Horse chestnuts are 

 considerably improved by steaming. 



Kafir corn may be substituted for 

 corn in fattening rations for steers. 

 Kafir corn appears to be inferior to corn 

 in feeding value. In Kansas, its effect- 

 iveness proved to be lower than that of 

 corn and its fat was less digestible. Both 

 red and white kafir corn are equally 

 suitable for steers. As a rule, corn 

 meal is better digested than kafir corn 

 meal. At the Kansas experiment sta- 

 tion, it was found that 5y 2 per cent of 

 corn meal,, 12 per cent of red kafir corn 

 and '14 per cent of white kafir corn meal 

 passed away in the manure. The red 

 kafir corn is slightly superior to the 

 white variety, according to Kansas ex- 

 perience. In Oklahoma, 10 per cent 

 more kafir corn meal than corn meal 

 was required to produce a given gain. 

 Apparently, the digestibility of kafir 

 corn is somewhat improved by soaking 

 and the material is enough more effect- 

 ive when ground to pay for grinding 

 in all cases. «* 



Linseed meal — This material is fed 

 to steers, as well as other farm animals, 

 for its beneficial effect on the health, 

 as well as for its nutritive value. In 

 Scotland, linseed meal has given better 

 gains than corn or cottonseed meal. A 

 narrow ration is preferred by those feed- 

 ers to a wide ration, and this is obtained 

 by the use of linseed meal. It is recom- 

 mended by Scotch feeders that the ra- 

 tion should become narrow as the feed- 

 ing period progresses by increasing the 

 amount of linseed meal. In Iowa, ex- 

 cellent results have been obtained from 

 linseed meal by gradually increasing the 

 amount fed to steers from 1-5 of a pound 

 to 4 pounds daily, in addition to 19 

 pounds of corn. It appears from statis- 

 tics collected in Illinois that 21 per cent 



