24 BULLETIN - 631; IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 



The calves used in this experiment were raised on tick-free pastures 

 and weighed over 400 pounds each, being somewhat heavier at wean- 

 ing time than the calves used in previous tests. They were of about 

 the same quality and breeding as the calves used in former years. 

 They were put on a preliminary feed from October 25 to November 

 13, and during that time they were dehorned and the males castrated. 



The calves were weighed individually on three consecutive days 

 and an average was made of all weighings and used as the initial 

 weight. The regular feeding period began November 13, 1914. Each 

 lot of calves was weighed every 28 days during the test, and all 

 calves were weighed individually at the close of the test. The calves 

 were weighed about 10 o'clock each weigh day. 



Table 12. — Weights and gains (Nov. 13, 191If, to Apr. 5, 1915, 143 days). 



Lot 



No. 



Ration. 



Average 

 initial 

 •weight 



per calf. 



Average 



final 

 weight 

 per calf. 



Average 

 total 

 gains 



per calf. 



Average 

 daily 

 gains 



per calf. 



1 



[Cottonseed meal 



J Cottonseed hulls 



1 Pounds. 

 \ 437 



I 427 



I 436 



Pounds. 

 682 



695 



663 



Pounds. 

 245 



268 



227 



Pounds. 



1 Corn silage ' 



1.71 





lAlfalfahav 





? 



(Cottonseed meal, two-thirds 



Corn-and-cob meal, one-third 



1.87 















[Cottonseed meal , one-third 





3 





1.59 





lAlfalfa hav 











1 Preliminary feeding Oct. 25 to Nov. 12, inclusive. 



The calves of lots 1. 2, and 3 were about the same size at the be- 

 ginning of the test, averaging 437, 427, and 436 pounds, respectively. 

 During the entire feeding period of 143 days the calves in each lot 

 made a total gain of 245, 268, and 227 pounds per head, or an aver- 

 age daily gain of 1.71, 1.87, and 1.59 pounds per head. The gains 

 for the first two lots were very satisfactory for calves of this size and 

 quality. The gain for lot 3 was not so satisfactory, but when the 

 daily rations of the calves are considered it is seen that the calves of 

 lot 3 did not get as valuable a grain ration as those of lot 2, if the 

 theory is true that one pound of cottonseed meal is equal in feeding 

 value to two pounds of corn for fattening calves. 



QUANTITY AND COST OF FEED REQUIRED TO MAKE 100 POUNDS 



OF GAIN. 



Figures showing the amount of different kinds or combinations of 

 feeds required to make 100 pounds of gain in weight are of most 

 importance to prospective feeders. When a feeder knows the valua- 





