CALF FEEDING IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI. 



23 



from dehorning. They were therefore in condition to take readily 

 to their feeds when started in the regular feeding period beginning 

 November 13. The feeds for all calves were increased gradually 

 until the end of the second 28-day period, after which time the 

 amount of concentrates was maintained at the same figures. 



The calves of each lot were given daily about the same amount of 

 cottonseed hulls with which the concentrates were mixed and had in 

 addition all the alfalfa hay and corn silage they would eat. The 

 weighed hay was put in racks for the calves to eat at will and such 

 an amount of silage was fed as the calves would clean up in one hour 

 after feeding. It is seen that the calves receiving corn-and-cob meal 

 did not eat quite as much alfalfa or corn silage as the calves of lot 1. 



Table 11. — Average daily rations by 28-day periods (Nov. 14, 1914, to Apr. 5, 



1915). 



Lot 

 No. 



Number 

 of calves. 



Ration. 



First 

 period. 



Second 

 period. 



Thir,d 

 period. 



Fourth 

 period. 



Fifth 

 period, 

 31 days. 





14 

 12 



14 





Pounds. 

 2.8 

 5.0 



11.3 

 3.6 

 2.6 

 1.3 

 4.9 



11.1 

 3.3 

 1.4 

 2.9 

 5.0 



11.2 

 3.5 



Pounds. 

 3.4 

 5.0 



11.4 

 3.9 

 3.3 

 1.6 

 4.7 



11.2 

 3.6 

 1.8 

 3.6 

 4.7 



11.1 

 3.6 



Pounds. 

 4.0 

 6.1 



13.8 

 3.4 

 3.3 

 1.6 

 5.7 



12.9 

 3.1 

 1.9 

 3.7 

 4.8 



11.5 

 3.2 



Pounds. 

 4.0 

 6.4 



14.2 

 2.7 

 3.3 

 1.6 

 6.4 



14.2 

 3.3 

 1.9 

 3.7 

 5.3 



11.8 

 2.7 



Pounds. 

 4.0 







6.8 



1 





14.8 







3.9 







3.6 







1.8 



? 





7.1 







15.1 







4.4 







2.0 







3.9 



<? 





6.3 







13.9 







4.1 









During the first 28-day period the calves of lot 1 consumed on the 

 average 2.8 pounds of cottonseed meal, 5 pounds of cottonseed hulls, 

 3.6 pounds alfalfa hay, and 11.3 pounds of silage, while the calves of 

 lot 2 consumed 2.6 pounds of cottonseed meal and one-half as much 

 corn-and-cob meal. Each calf in lot 3 ate 4.3 pounds of the mixture 

 of one-third cottonseed meal and two-thirds corn-and-cob meal per 

 ■head per day. 



During the third period and thereafter each calf of lots 1, 2, and 3 

 was fed 4, 4.9, and 5.6 pounds of concentrates per day, respectively. 

 As these calves were less than 12 months old, it seemed best not to 

 feed them more cottonseed meal than these amounts. As the calves 

 were never fed a heavy grain ration, the amount of roughage con- 

 sumed did not decrease as the feeding progressed, but in fact in- 

 creased gradually as the calves increased in weight. The amount of 

 alfalfa hay consumed by each lot was very uniform for all lots and 

 for all periods of the experiment. For some unknown reason the 

 calves of all lots consumed more silage than usual during the last 

 two periods and somewhat less hay than the average. 



