



STEER FEEDING WITH MOLASSES. 245 



is reached, certain softening of the bony structure is noticeable, 

 which, according to several leading authorities, is to be attrib- 

 uted solely to molasses, and the explanation given is its low 

 percentage in phosphate of lime and also the formation of cer- 

 tain acids in the digestive tubes, due to the sugar it contains. 

 This acidity decreases the alkalinity of the blood, which then 

 dissolves the calcic phosphate. 



This difficulty may be overcome by adding 50 grams of pre- 

 cipitated phosphate, as suggested by Maercker. Experience 

 shows that since this product has been used there has not been 

 a single instance of bone softening; consequently, when 4 kilos 

 of molasses are given to a full-grown ox, it is desirable to add 

 to the ration at least 100 grams of calcic phosphate per 1,000 

 kilos live weight. 



Vibrans has obtained excellent results with working oxen, 

 and claims that no other feeding substances can take the place 

 of molasses. His manner of feeding is to chop hay very fine, 

 combine it with straw, and sprinkle the whole with molasses. 

 Concentrates are thrown over this and subsequently mixed. 



At the Hohenau sugar factory (Germany) they have been 

 feeding these molasses forages to oxen for more than twenty 

 years. During the first month 1J kilos per head and per diem 

 are fed, and the following months 2 kilos of molasses are mixed 

 with cossettes in the daily ration. It is recorded that the 

 animals had a better appetite and were rapidly fattened. From 

 what has just been said, we may conclude that steers and oxen 

 are very much benefited by this molasses feeding. 



A question that is open to much discussion is that of influ- 

 ence of molasses combinations upon the ultimate quality of the 

 meat. Experiments were made at Leipzig (Germany) upon 

 steers fattened at Lauchsta'dt with the following ration for the 

 first group: 5 kilos hay, 8 kilos straw, 8 kilos dried cossettes, 6 

 kilos peat molasses, 6 kilos bran, and 3 kilos cotton-seed meal. 

 The second group received 5 kilos hay, 8 kilos straw, 8 kilos 

 dried cossettes, 12 kilos bran-molasses combination, and 3 kilos 

 cotton-seed meal. The cattle were subsequently slaughtered 

 and their meat was pronounced of first-class quality. 



On a French farm visited by the writer, the ration for steers 



