CALF FEEDING IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI. 



15 



DAILY RATIONS. 



The test proper did not begin until November 29, 1912. Previous 

 to this time, however, the calves were eating a small daily ration com- 

 posed of cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, and mixed hay. The pre- 

 liminary period continued 15 days, during which time the calves be- 

 came accustomed to eating dry feeds. 



Table 16 shows the average amount of feed eaten daily by each 

 calf, but it should be borne in mind that these amounts were reached 

 by gradual and careful increases. 



Table 6. — Average daily rations (Nov. 29, 1912, to Mar. 3, 1913). 



Lot 

 No. 



Number 

 of calves. 



Ration. 



Average 

 amount of 

 feed eaten 



by each 

 calf daily. 





16 

 15 



15 



/Cottonseed meal 



Pounds. 

 2.61 



1 





14.13 







1.76 





J Corn chop, one-third 



.88 



2 





6.56 







13.29 







2.63 



<? 





6.53 







13.03 









When the test began, each calf in lot 1 was eating daily a little less 

 than 2 pounds of meal and 11 pounds of hulls. It should be remem- 

 bered that the calves had been eating these feeds for 15 days before 

 the test began. On December 12, or 14 days later, the 16 calves were 

 raised to a daily ration of 34 pounds of cottonseed meal and 220 

 pounds of cottonseed hulls. On January 3 another increase in the 

 meal was made, when the daily allowance was increased to 40 

 pounds. On January 14 a third increase was made, when the cot- 

 tonseed meal was increased to 44 pounds. The 16 calves never ate 

 more than 56 pounds of cottonseed meal daily, or 3| pounds per 

 head per day. 



If the corn silage had been of better quality, each calf would have 

 eaten much more than 13 pounds daily. Each calf should have con- 

 sumed not less than 20 pounds. No hay was used in this test; cot- 

 tonseed hulls were used in place of the hay. In addition to the 

 amount of silage eaten daily, it is seen that each calf in lots 2 and 3 

 ate 5.56 and 6.53 pounds, respectively, of cottonseed hulls. 



WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 



When the test was begun, November 29, 1912, the calves averaged 

 from 6 to 8 months in age. As stated previously, they were out of 

 the same cows as the calves that were used in the experiment reported 

 in Part I, and were consequently similar in size, breeding, and qual- 



