6 



BULLETIN 028, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



run through the feed cutter. The steers in Lot 4, on winter pasture, 

 were fed only during snows, when they were brought to the barn 

 and given a small ration of ear corn, corn stover, and hay. As soon 

 as the snow melted they were taken back to pasture. These steers 

 had no shelter at all, other than the natural shelter furnished by 

 trees, thickets, coves, etc. The cattle in the barns were turned out 

 into lots around the barn in the afternoon, and left about three hours 

 if the weather was clear ; if the weather was bad, they were left out 

 only long enough to get water. The steers were weighed every four 

 weeks, early in the morning, before being fed and watered. 



AMOUNT OF FEED CONSUMED. 



In considering the amount of feed consumed, it should be noted 

 that these cattle were getting only maintenance rations sufficient to 

 keep them in good, strong, thrifty condition. Table 2 shows the 

 total amount of feed consumed and the average daily ration per steer 

 during each of three winters. 



Ta6le 2. — Average daily rations (three ir intern). 



1913-14. 



Lot 

 No. 



Number 

 of steers. 



Number 

 of days. 



Ration. 



Total feed 

 per steer. 



Daily feed 

 per steer. 



1 



25 

 25 



35 



12S 

 128 

 123 

 112 





Pounds. 



276 

 1,250 

 2,041 



665 

 2,006 



605 



Pounds. 

 2.15 







9.76 



2 



Corn silage > 



15. 95 

 5.19 



3 





16.31 



4 17 



Corn stover and hav 



4.92 











24 



131 



' 24 



131 



31 



131 



26 



131 



Ear corn 3 



Corn stover, hay, and straw 3 . 

 Cora stover, hay, and straw < . 



Corn silage * 



Corn stover, hay, and straw « . 



Corn silage * 



Winter pasture 6 



391 

 1,434 



789 

 1,807 



791 

 1,717 



2.99 

 10. 95 



6.03 

 13. SO 



6.04 

 13.11 



1915-16. 



24 



119 



24 



119 



33 



119 



16 



119 , 



Ear corn 



Corn stover, hay, and straw . 



Corn silage 



Corn stover, hay, and straw . 



Corn silage - 



Corn stover, hay, and straw. 

 Winter pasture 6 



374 



3.14 



1,358 



11.41 



2,142 



18.00 



714 



6.00 



2,142 



18.00 



714 



6.00 



i Fed 2.43 pounds cottonseed cake daily to each steer of Lots 1 and 2 during the last 16 days of experiment. 



2 Each steer of Lot 4 was fed an average of 5.86 pounds of hay for each of 15 days of the winter when the 

 grass was covered with snow. This was charged in cost of wintering. 



3 An average of 1.65 pounds of cottonseed meal was fed to each steer daily for the last 16 days. 



* Silage was not fed to the steers of Lots 2 and 3 for the last 16 days of the experiment. "Stover was fed 

 as the sole roughage with a grain ration of 2.44 pounds of corn and 1.91 pounds of cottonseed meal per head 

 daily. 



6 The steers had to be fed on 24 stormy days, when the grass was covered with snow. During this time 

 each steer consumed a total of 183 pounds of stover and 58.5 pounds of ear corn, which is charged against 

 the ost of wintering. 



e The steers had to be fed 14 days on account of bad weather. They consumed about 2 pounds of ear 

 com and 8 pounds of roughage per'head per day during that time, which was charged in cost of wintering. 



