BEEF CATTLE IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



47 



Each of the 26 steers of Lot 4 was fed an average of 4.61 pounds 

 of cottonseed meal and 18.66 pounds of cottonseed hulls per day 

 during the first 28-day period. These amounts were increased to 7 

 pounds of cottonseed meal and 20 pounds of cottonseed hulls for the 

 fourth period of 27 days. The average daily ration per head for the 

 entire period of 111 days was 6.25 pounds of cottonseed meal and 

 19.92 pounds of cottonseed hulls. 



Table 23 gives the average initial and final weights per head, the 

 total gains, and the average daily gain per steer. 



Table 23. — Total and daily gains, 1914-15. 



Ration. 



Lot 



Number 



Days 



No. 



of steers. 



fed. 



1 



10 



96 



2 



10 



96 



3 



21 



96 



4 



26 



111 



Cottonseed meal, ear corn, and 

 cottonseed hulls 



Cottonseed meal and cottonseed 

 hulls 



Cottonseed meal and corn silage. . 



Cottonseed meal and cottonseed 

 hulls 



Average 



initial 



weight per 



steer. 



Average 



final 



weight per 



steer. 



Average 

 total 



gain per 

 steer. 



Pounds. 

 941 



Pounds. 

 1,096 



Pounds. 

 155 



967 

 911 



1,103 

 1,110 



136 

 199 



736 



893 



157 



daily 



gain per 



steer. 



Pounds. 

 1.61 



1.42 

 2.07 



It will be seen that the average total gain per head for the steers 

 in Lots 1 and 2 was 155 pounds and 136 pounds, respectively, which 

 was equivalent to 1.61 pounds and 1.42 pounds per head daily. Com- 

 paring the results with those of the 1913-14 tests, it is seen that the 

 addition of corn to the ration produced larger gains in both tests. 



The steers in Lot 3 made an average daily gain per head of 2.07 

 pounds, or a total gain of 199 pounds for the 96 days, which is the 

 best showing of any of the cattle. This shows rather forcibly the 

 great value of corn silage in a fattening ration for steers, and, as will 

 be seen later, these gains were the most economical. 



The smaller steers of Lot 4, which were fed the same ration as 

 those in Lot 2, made practically the same average daily gains, but 

 over a longer period, gaining 157 pounds per head in the 111 days. 



QUANTITIES AND COST OF FEEDS TO PRODUCE 100 POUNDS GAIN. 



Table 24 shows the amount of feed that was required to produce 

 100 pounds of gain on the steers of the four lots, and the cost of this 

 feed in each case. 



