406 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



In another set of experiments in Col- 

 orado, alfalfa hay was fed to all the 

 steers ad libitum, while beet pulp was 

 tested with regard to its feeding value 

 with the hay and ground corn. In this 

 test, 3.2 pounds of sugar beet pulp were 

 found to equal in feeding value 1 pound 

 of the hay. Sugar beet pulp at ordi- 

 nary prices appears to be cheaper and 

 better than ground corn in connection 

 with an alfalfa ration for mature steers. 

 When alfalfa hay is worth $5 a ton, 

 sugar beet pulp may be estimated at 

 $1.50 a ton. It was found as a result 

 of careful experiments that steers would 

 gain nearly a pound a day more on a 

 ration of alfalfa, corn and beet pulp 

 than on a ration of hay and corn or hay 

 and beet pulp. 



In another test of this matter at the 

 Colorado experiment station, it was 

 found that during a fattening period of 

 ordinary length, steers on a ration of 

 alfalfa hay and beet pulp returned a 

 profit of $16.60 a head, while on beet 

 pulp, hay and corn, a profit of $15.45 

 was obtained and on beet pulp, barley, 

 hay and oats, a profit of only $12.55. 



In Michigan, it appears that one ton 

 of sugar beet pulp equals 421 pounds 

 of corn stover, 274 pounds of mixed hay 

 and 69 pounds of mixed grain for feed- 

 ing steers. In another test in Michigan, 

 better results were obtained from the 

 sugar beet pulp, indicating an even 

 higher efficiency. 



In Utah, it was found that steers 

 would make a pound of gain from HV2 

 pounds of alfalfa hay and 3V/ 2 pounds 

 of sugar beet pulp, at a cost of 2.8 cents 

 a pound. When the sugar beet pulp was 

 fed ad libitum with alfalfa hpy it 

 showed a feeding value of $1.85 a ton. 



A stock feeder in Logan, Utah, found 

 sugar beet pulp a very profitable ma- 

 terial and estimates its value at $2.50 a 

 ton. His feeding operations have been 

 so successful, from a financial stand- 

 point, that arrangements are being made 

 for more extensive operations in the 

 future. His system consists in feeding 

 alfalfa and sugar beet pulp regularly, 

 twice daily, in open yards and no more 

 is given than will be eaten up in a few 

 hours. 



In accustoming animals to sugar beet 

 pulp, it is a good practice to begin with 

 a small quantity and gradually increase 

 until a full feed is reached. At the be- 

 ginning, the amount may be 10 pounds 

 a day for steers and increased to 40 to 80 



pounds, together with grain and alfalfa 

 hay. If the animals show any hesita- 

 tion in eating pulp, it may be mixed 

 with grain at first, and thus rendered 

 more palatable. 



Dried blood — Although cattle are nor- 

 mally vegetarian in habit, they may be 

 induced to eat animal food. Animal ma- 

 terial is most frequently fed mixed with 

 grain or molasses in order to render it 

 more palatable. The quantity of dried 

 blood fed to steers should not exceed 

 about 1 pound a day, as a rule. At the 

 Iowa experiment station, Kennedy fed 

 one lot of steers on corn in various 

 forms, wheat straw and dried blood, be- 

 ginning with a ration of 1-6 of a pound 

 a day, and gradually increasing to IV2 

 pounds daily. This ration gave an 

 average daily gain of 2.4 pounds a steer, 

 at an average cost of 11 cents a pound of 

 gain. It will be seen by this experiment 

 that the cost of producing beef on ani- 

 mal feeds is likely to be rather high. 

 Blood meal may also be used in steer ra- 

 tions at the rate of 1 1-5 pounds daily, 

 but will ordinarily increase the cost of 

 gain. Likewise bone meal of good 

 quality may be fed to steers, and is 

 readily digested by them. 



Molasses — I n Utah, molasses was 

 compared with pulp in rations of 8 

 pounds a day. It was found to have a 

 feeding value of $2.35 a ton and was 

 well relished by steers. It may be used 

 in rations of 4 to 8 pounds a day. The 

 use of molasses and sugar in feeding 

 farm animals is increasing rapidly, but 

 has given better results with horses 

 and mules than with cattle. Steers, 

 however, appear to be able to utilize mo- 

 lasses and sugar economically. In Scot- 

 land, it has been found as a result of 

 one series of feeding tests, that sugar, 

 in rations of 1 to 2 pounds a day, has a 

 tendency to check the growth of steers 

 and put them off feed. Molasses has 

 been fed much more extensively in Eu- 

 rope than in this country. In Texas, 

 it did not appear to improve a ration 

 containing silage, and in Kansas, it was 

 found to be of little value in fattening 

 steers. In France, however, sugar was 

 found serviceable in making hay more 

 palatable. 



FEEDING METHODS AND MISCEL- 

 LANEOUS MATTERS IN BEEF 

 PRODUCTION 



There remains for consideration a 

 number of important subjects concern- 

 ing the methods of feeding and various 



